Dark Heroes
by Issylt
Summary: Unable to control her powers, Raven is taken in by the X-Men until her wild powers make her a feared being. After some training in Azarath, she returns to earth and it is then that she meets the Teen Titans. And so a new life begins. Some RavenOC
1. Prologue

**Hi guys! This is my first ever crossover fanfic, so please be kind to me. I hope this turns out OK. Please do review and tell me what you think so I can make improvements if possible. All constructive criticism is most welcome. Thank you! **

The sense of danger and death swept over Professor Charles Xavier like a tidal wave. The telepathic mutant groaned slightly and promptly grabbed the TV controller. At the flick of his finger, the TV was switched on to the news channel, where a reporter was anxiously talking at top speed.

"Never before has such an attack been seen!" reporter John Brown cried, casting a glance over his shoulder. "As you can see, this – this…monster is terrorizing Whitlock Street! Check this out!"

The camera was zoomed in on the background to reveal a sight that made the usually placid professor gasp aloud. He could boast of seeing exceedingly odd-looking mutants at times, but never before had he laid eyes on such a creature. This was no mutant, he realized. It was nothing less than a monster. Flesh did not exist on the creature's body; what existed there were blobs of deep maroon, slime-like substance. More people than Xavier could count were squealing and screaming and trying in vain to escape the monster's barrage of slime balls. Xavier's eyes widened to the size of saucers, then they narrowed again as he shut his eyelids and sent out a telepathic call.

_X-Men, we have an emergency at Whitlock Street. Scott, Jean, Rogue, Logan and Kitty, I need you to head there right now. Beware of your opponent. It's like no creature I've ever seen before. _

_Right, Professor. We'll be on our way, _came Jean's mental reply.

Xavier sighed and turned his attention to the TV screen once more, frowning as he observed the creature's movements and attacks. Maroon slime balls were being projected like missiles, perfectly pasting all the passer-by's down onto the road and kerb. Dumfounded and flabbergasted police officers could only watch as their normally lethal bullets smacked dully into the hideous goo without their usual impact. Several SWAT members were already on the scene, firing at the monster with such force and noise that Xavier wondered if anyone there still had their eardrums intact. But from whatever might be observed, it would take far more than just SWAT members and police officers to take down such a monster. It would take quite a miracle.

_How could I have not detected his presence earlier? _Xavier thought. _Such_ _a dangerous thing_ _should have activated my telepathy a long time ago! What's going on with it?_ Forehead creased from his deep frowns, Xavier tried to send out all his psychic energy towards the scene.

_What's this? _In seconds, he felt something else that had yet to make an appearance on the screen. The person's presence was almost tangible, even at such a distance. Shocking amounts of strength and power emanated from the unseen person, making Xavier's heart beat nearly twice as fast. There could be no doubt about it.

Another super-powered being was there.


	2. Rachel to the Rescue

The five X-Men dispatched to the scene got there within minutes, adrenaline pumping throughout every corner of their bodies. Describing the scene as pure chaos was not quite adequate, they realized, as they stepped out of Scott's car. It could only be described as nothing less than a war scene.

"Eeew!" Kitty Pryde, also known as Shadowcat, wrinkled her nose with pure disgust as she clapped eyes on the creature. "What on earth is _that_? Am I seeing things I shouldn't be?"

"Believe me, you're not," Logan growled, flicking out his long adamantium claws. "X-Men, let's move!"

Trained to perfection, Logan's four comrades immediately got to work, surrounding the monster from several angles. Logan edged towards the creature cautiously, claws poised to strike. Scott's fingers moved to his special eye glasses, ready to release a barrage of eye lasers. Jean extended her hand towards an empty vehicle parked near the chaos. Rogue kept an eye on the monster, mentally preparing herself to get near and absorb its powers. Kitty stood near Logan, fists clenched as she took on her intangible state.

"Move!" Logan barked.

In unison, all five mutants leaped into action. Scott opened up his glasses and projected a vicious blast of red eye lasers straight towards the maroon monster. A sound resembling a roar escaped its hideous gummy mouth, and it promptly ejected a gigantic slime blob towards Scott.

"Whoaaa!" Jean immediately thrust out her hands, flinging up a telekinetic shield in front of Scott, seconds before he could be engulfed in slime. Deciding that this was the chance to attack, Logan lunged forward like a feral animal and made an almighty swipe.

With another hideous moan, the monster reacted. Several more slime missiles went flying, coating several other bystanders in goo. Logan dodged from side to side as swiftly as he could, swiping away at the blobs that threatened to hit him. Jean was already making a move, her face creased with concentration as she levitated an empty car upwards and hurled it telekinetically towards the monster.

"Come on, come on," Scott muttered, as he aimed another blast towards the monster, gritting his teeth. Their efforts, as far as he could see, were getting nowhere. Car and optic lasers had struck their opponent with tremendous force, but although they had managed to strike a hole right through the slime, the hole had immediately closed up again, with no apparent damage. Scott and Jean grimaced and cast each other a certain look that said it all. _It's gonna take much more to stop this thing! _

"I don't know what this blob is, but it's going down today!" Logan growled, as he took a step back and kept an eye on the monster's every move. "Rogue, move in when I tell you to!"

Rogue pulled a face, looking most disgusted. "I'm going to have to touch that _thing _with my bare hands? Great. This is _so _not my day," she muttered.

At a nod from Logan, Kitty grabbed Rogue by the elbow, sent them both into an intangible state, and ran forward. Scott and Jean moved around the monster cautiously, protected by Jean's shield, and again, Scott tried to deliver another well-placed blast. Clearly aggravated, the monster roared again and thrust its gooey arms forward, splattering more goo all over.

"Go, Rogue!" Logan bellowed, dodging to avoid being bombarded with slime.

Gloves already ripped off her potent hands, Rogue released Kitty's hand at the last moment and lunged forward, stretching out her arms to their full length. Goosebumps prickled her skin as her hands made contact with her opponent. The goo was somewhat warmish, sticky and decidedly disgusting. Fighting back powerfully throbbing waves of revulsion, Rogue forced all her powers into her hands, willing herself to absorb everything, everything from the monster…

"AAAHHH!" Rogue yelled aloud as the creature roared again and without warning, encircled her arms with tentacle-like lumps of goo, pulling her towards him. Rogue yelled again and again as she fought like a madwoman, kicking and thrashing with every ounce of strength in her body. In less than five seconds, she was completely gone, absorbed into the monster's gooey body as if she had never existed.

"Oh…my…" Kitty stuttered, unable to believe what had just happened. "Rogue? Rogue! Are you alright? Are you alive? Can you hear me?"

"She's alive," Jean reported, one hand extended towards the monster, the other hand pressed against her left temple. "Can feel her in there…I think she's _inside _that thing!"

"This thing's going too far. We have to take it down now!" Logan ordered. "Kitty, get Rogue out of there! Scott, Jean, blast that thing with everything you've got! Move, Kitty!" He did not waste breath trying to ask aloud what was in everyone's mind, surely: _Why didn't that thing faint when Rogue touched it? _

"Pleh!" Kitty pulled a face and went intangible again, trying in vain to remind herself that in her intangible state, no goo could touch her.

"Scott, off with those fancy glasses. Open your eyes when I tell you to."

"Roger that." Scott immediately peeled his glasses off and squeezed his lids shut, ears open for Logan's instructions.

Taking a deep breath, Kitty plunged forward right through the monster, groped around for Rogue, and finally grasped her by the elbow, phasing out from behind the monster.

"Phew!" Rogue pulled an angry face, staring down at herself with pure revulsion once she was at a safe distance away. Goo covered almost every inch of her tall body, making her resemble some sort of art model. "What does that _thing _think I am? A meal for him to be bathed in slime? I'm _not _going near back that monster again. Ever!"

"You won't have to this time," Logan growled, waving a clawed hand in the air. "This time, I'm making sure he's out for good. Scott, NOW!"

Scott let out some kind of battle cry and forced his eyelids open, blasting the monster with the full force of his optic lasers. Brilliant red light flashed like coloured lightning, illuminating the entire place with an eerie glow. Bystanders and mutants alike held their breath as Scott kept up the violent attack, straining at it until it seemed his eyes might bulge out of their sockets. For what seemed like an eternity, Scott maintained the attack, then Logan shouted another order, whereupon Scott shut his eyes and returned his glasses back to their resting spot.

"I think that should have done it," Logan grunted, surveying the damage Scott had inflicted on their enemy. All that was left of the creature now were several puddles of maroon slime, splattered all over like paint. "I hardly think anything could recover from that."

"Then, what now?"

"Gather some samples and bring them back to the Institution. The Professor will want to know what that thing was."

"Fine enough, so long as I don't lay my hands on that," Rogue muttered, not altogether in jest.

Logan moved forward first, claws extended. As he did so, the goo moved. Like water puddles flowing freely, the slime begin to flow in unity, all of them converging towards a certain spot on the ground. Logan jerked to a stop, an angry snarl emerging from his lips. Sensing his apprehension, the rest of his comrades immediately headed to his side.

"What…"

"It's re-forming itself!" Logan bellowed, urgency, frustration and fury stealing away his earlier sense of triumph and relief. Pouring all his rage into his claws, he begin to attack. His deadly claws formed numerous arches in the air as he swiped and clawed furiously, frantically struggling to break up the pieces.

"Let me help," Jean offered, as she used her telekinesis to force apart the goo puddles.

So far, so good. They thought they were managing well enough until, the next moment, they felt some shockingly powerful bursts of energy surrounding their bodies, lifting them clear away from the spot. Jean gave a yelp of protest and outrage, losing her concentration so that the splattered goo once again begin to converge, with even greater speed than before.

"No!" Jean yelled, struggling in vain against the black energy bubble that now enclosed her and Logan, keeping them away. "No! Let go of me!" Frantic, she curled her fingers into fists on both hands and released an almighty blast of telekinetic energy from her entire body, hoping to break free.

_Stop struggling, I'm here to help. _

Startled by the unfamiliar telepathic voice ringing in her head, Jean's body went half-limp.

_Who are you? _

_I'm not an enemy. Stop struggling, and let me help. What you and Logan are doing will accomplish nothing. Leave this to me. I know exactly how to put Plasmus down. _

_Plasmus? _Jean thought dryly. _This monster even has a name? _

Gradually, Jean and Logan felt the energy around them loosening, enough to let them move freely again. Logan was almost red with anger, but he made no move to fight, only stood back and gestured to the others to retreat.

Once again, Plasmus became the hideous monster they had seen as the bits of scattered goo came together. Scott groaned, muttering something about his optic lasers being used in vain. Rogue was almost twitching with anger. Kitty took a step forward, but a single command from Logan froze her.

In complete silence, a lone figure stepped out of the shadows, apparently materializing herself like a sorceress. Her face was completely concealed by shadows cast by the deep hood she wore. With such a guise, she could have been anyone, even Mystique herself. Completely calm and self-possessed, she strode forward and planted herself firmly a few feet away from Plasmus.

"Sorry, Plasmus. You're leaving me with no choice." Her voice was not the typical female voice one normally heard, soft or sweet. Hers was deep and solemn, filled with a commanding power that needn't be raised to command attention and obedience. Her body levitated upwards for several feet, and she crossed her legs with her hands on her knees, palm facing skywards. Plasmas released a high-pitched shriek, but made no move to attack. If anything, one might almost say it feared its female opponent.

With a single sigh, long and drawn out, the mysterious girl tilted her head backwards slightly and raised her arms upwards. A black, incorporeal raven as large as her body emerged like a spirit, gliding forward. It entered Plasmus' body without hindrance, and Plasmus let out another shriek of protest and fury, its massive body quivering. Maroon goo literally exploded like a bomb covering quite a distance, and then, surprise! It was a _human _who lay on the ground, thin and half-naked, snoring like a sleeping child. Patches of goo covered him. Too stunned to move, all five X-Men found themselves staring at him with bulging eyes and loose jaws.

"It's over now." As the odd raven figure returned to the girl's body, she lowered herself back to the ground and knelt down next to the man, a hand on his head, the other hand pushing back her hood. "Perhaps this will keep you in slumber a little longer." Her eyes gleamed with an iridescent light, as she muttered something inaudible. Jean thought she sensed some mental activity changing, but the moment was far too brief to decipher, for a mental block was suddenly flung up like a wall.

"Officers, he's down for now." The light in her eyes died down, and the girl rose, addressing the still-stunned policemen and SWAT members. "All you have to do is to keep him asleep. He's only a monster when he's awake. For now, I've managed to keep his mind unconscious and inactive. If you keep him in complete silence, he will not wake up." Raising a hand, she made a swift gesture, efficiently releasing the bystanders who had been imprisoned by Plasmus's goo, employing some form of black energy. "Officers, you can take him now. He will pose no more danger for now, I assure you."

Mumbling and muttering to each other with disbelief, as if they still contained the capacity for further shocks, the officers and SWAT team begin to move, firearms poised to fire if necessary. Within seconds, the sleeping man-monster was entirely surrounded by black-clad officers, handcuffed, and quietly transferred to his new abode.

All five X-Men peered curiously at their saviour with undisguised surprise and curiosity, as if they were studying something interesting in the market. The girl's skin was a pale grey shade, a stark contrast to her large dark eyes and violet-black, shoulder-length hair. The clothes on her body were even odder, consisting of some sort of black leotard with a gold and red belt around her narrow waist, dark blue cloth shoes on her feet and a long cloak and hood of dark blue. Everything about her exuded mystery – and power. This was no ordinary mutant.

_I don't believe this! _Logan thought. _No way! Who is this girl? Such a powerful mutant would have been detected by Cerebro and the Professor quite a long time ago, surely! How could she have taken down that monster so quickly? How did she know what he really was? _

Who – who are you?" Jean breathed at last, breaking the awkward and tense silence. For a moment, it seemed the odd girl was not about to say anything, then she slowly turned to face them, face expressionless.

"I am Rachel Roth."

**Hi again guys! Please do review and let me know what you think, so I can improve the next chapter! **


	3. Probing Rachel's Mind

Xavier sat down patiently by Rachel Roth and increased the force of his finger on his left temple, frowns creasing his bald forehead. The newest addition to the Institute now lay on a mattress, several wires and electrodes connected to her head. Her still body, never once twitching or moving even an inch, was entirely wrapped up in her dark blue cloak. When she had arrived at the Institute, Jean had offered her some normal clothing, but Rachel had politely refused. It seemed that her outlandish clothes were destined to remain part of her, just like her personality, always mysterious, always odd. It had been quite a miracle, the mutants thought, that Rachel had actually agreed to follow them to the Institute and speak to the Professor.

It was the first time in his life Xavier had felt such a powerful presence. The moment Rachel was within a mile of the Institute, Xavier had detected her immediately, recognizing her as the presence he had sensed earlier as the fight with Plasmus was broadcasted. The closer she got, the stronger he had felt her. And now she was right here, under his nose, satisfied enough to cooperate, albeit with some reluctance. Getting her to agree to let her probe her mind on the surface had been exceedingly hard, far harder than he had thought it would be. It had taken some weird oath on Xavier's part, to only to probe the surface, before Rachel had let him do so, on the condition that she shielded off most of her deeper thoughts and memories. And even then, Rachel had still offered the Professor an extremely intense gaze, her dark eyes boring into his, as if reading all his thoughts.

Though she had kept her mind partially opened, as agreed, Xavier could still feel a mental barrier walling off part of her inner thoughts. That wall was stronger than anything he had ever encountered, used as he was to feeling such barriers. He did not blame her, though. Not all thoughts in a person should be exposed so nakedly.

Jean tapped on the door from outside and entered. Xavier's head turned towards her slightly, eyes still shut. Knowing better than to interrupt anything, Jean kept her approach silent and subtle, footsteps light. Xavier pointed to a chair nearby; Jean obediently levitated it towards her and lowered herself onto it.

_What do you see in her, Professor? _Jean enquired telepathically.

_Power. A great and terrible power far stronger than anything I've ever sensed in my entire life. Rachel almost seems to be nothing but a ball of sheer power. I've never felt anything like this, not even in a Class 5 mutant. _Xavier paused and sighed aloud. _And there's something dark and evil lurking deep within her. _He felt a chill slithering down his spine like a cold snake, and Jean felt it in her mind. _I don't know what exactly it is; it's well-concealed, but it's there alright. _

_An evil presence_? Jean echoed. _Are you suggesting that she's…_

_No, I won't judge her on that alone. She's not the only being to possess something dark in her soul. Besides, having that in her may not automatically make her evil. And I can sense goodness in her too, goodness that outweighs all that darkness. There's so much light in someone who holds this much darkness deeper within. _Xavier probed a little deeper, careful not to intrude too far into private thoughts, and went on, _And I can sense something else. A desire to belong, and to help. There's a really deep sense of emptiness and…apprehension in her heart. I'm getting the impression that she doesn't want something terrible to happen, but she just knows she can't prevent it. _

_Getting the impression? _Jean was clearly fairly surprised. The Professor was known to be the most powerful telepath around. If he could only be 'getting the impression', it signified that this new mutant's mind powers were far stronger than expected. _Are you saying that you can't see that clearly? _

_Yes, I suppose you could say that. She's got too much hidden in her mind. Thoughts within thoughts, secrets within secrets. And besides, I did promise that I would only scratch the surface, no more. Ah, she's starting to push me out. I think this session is over. _Xavier exhaled and opened his eyes, glancing down at Rachel. She was sitting up calmly and slowly, her eyes betraying no emotion. Her long-fingered hands reached up and pulled the electrodes away.

"Thank you, Rachel." Xavier's voice was courteous. "That went well, I should say."

Rachel inclined her head solemnly. "At least you kept your word about not probing too deep," she replied. Her tone was not hostile, just cool and distant. Intense eyes peered at him, and Jean thought she could feel Rachel touching Xavier's mind lightly.

"I would never have broken my word with such a matter. And no, this is not a routine activity. Seldom do I do this to the new recruits here."

_And yet, you had to do this on me. _The unspoken fact hung in the air between them, thankfully remaining unspoken. "Is there anything else required of me, Professor?"

"No. That will be all for now, Rachel. Thank you for cooperating. Kitty will show you to a room where you can rest for now." He gestured towards the door and nodded towards the waiting mutant. "I will speak with you again later, if you have nothing against that."

"I suppose it depends on the topic of the discussion."

"It will be nothing personal, I assure you."

Apparently satisfied, Rachel left with Kitty.

_Jean. I'd like to know your honest opinion on this. Do you think Rachel Roth is fit to join us and become an X-Man? _

Jean blinked. _Professor, I don't think that's something for me to decide. You're the one who probed her mind; you're the one who knows her better. _

_Do you know why I even probed her mind in the first place? _

_I have a rough idea. Wasn't it because you wanted to see the extent of her power and nature? You told me that you've never encountered such a powerful mutant before, nor anyone with such an aura of mystery and secretiveness. _

_Yes, that was half the reason. But I never said she was a mutant. From the moment I detected her presence, I knew she was no mutant. And this machine here confirmed it. _

Clearly befuddled, Jean replied, _What do you mean? I saw her fighting out there against Plasmus! That girl is no human! No human could wield such power!  
_

_She's no mutant, believe me. I know this may not be believable, but part of her is human, unlikely though that is. As to the other part of her, I don't know what it is. It's neither human nor mutant. That part of her was hidden from me. _

Jean shivered at the thought that such a mysterious creature was walking amidst them. _Neither human nor mutant? How can that be? Is she part alien? _

_I have no answer to that. I only know that she has human blood, but her powers stem from the other side of her heritage. No, Jean, you needn't worry. It's true that darkness is concealed within, but it does not form her true nature. I felt it as I probed her mind. All she wants is to use her powers to do good. Although that could be a slight problem. _

_Meaning? _

_She told me that she was born with too much power. More power than she ever wanted to have. If she is to be believed, she has little control over it at the moment. Releasing too much power in one go could be a disaster. _

_Such a powerful being with uncontrolled powers could be pretty dangerous. _

_Which amongst us has not encountered that problem in our earlier years? No-one with such power is born with perfect control over it. That is something to be practiced and improved. _

_I didn't mean it that way. I was simply saying that someone like her could pose a threat with uncontrolled powers. None of us here in the Institute have sufficient power to pose too great a danger if our abilities run wild. But I think that girl does. Added to that darkness you spoke of, we could have a shocking amount of danger on our hands. Is it worth keeping her here? Maybe we ought to observe her for a little longer. _

Xavier grunted softly and planted his hand under his chin. _That was very much in my intention to do so, but I fear Rachel might take it the wrong way. You've seen the way she observes every single detail about us. She'll know it the moment we keep watching her like a guard. I don't want her to get the wrong message and think that we believe her to be a threat. That girl is like a volatile bomb, waiting to explode when provoked. I felt part of her reaching out to me when I probed her mind, seeking something no-one has ever given her. Underneath that cold, shadowy exterior of hers is a lost child with little purpose in life. And I want to help her, Jean. What she needs from us is trust and friendship, not apprehension and caution. I can keep an eye on her in my own way. If anything does happen, I'll handle it. You can trust me to do that much. _

Jean considered for a moment, then nodded. _Then I supposed it's settled. Rachel will stay here and train as one of us, yes? _

_Indeed. That is, if she is willing. I shall give her some power control lessons myself before she joins the rest of you. _As Jean excused herself and left, Xavier sank back into his wheelchair and sighed, expression thoughtful.

_Ah, the poor child! _he thought. _To feel alone and worthless is the worst thing that could happen. I wonder what happened in the past to darken her like this? _

**To everyone who reviewed, thanks a lot! I really appreciate that! Ah, now I feel much more motivated about this! **

**OK, and to let you all know, I'm going to change Raven's background and personality a little here. I didn't explain this earlier, so I'll explain this now. Basically, all this takes place BEFORE Raven receives training in Azarath (yes, I'm changing some details to suit this story; I'm not familiar with all her background and past life, etc). Things will change after she leaves Azarath (sorry if this is giving away spoilers, I just want you to know that I'm changing some details). **


	4. A Talk with Rachel

Xavier relaxed his arms on his wheelchair and studied the girl sitting opposite him. Though they were alone, Rachel's body was tensed and upright, as if she expected danger to walk in and knock her on the head any moment. Xavier offered her a reassuring smile, tried to adopt a relaxed pose. Rachel's only response was to stare back intensely, wary as a young animal.

"You mean it, Professor?" Rachel finally said. "You're letting me join the X-Men this quickly? No conditions apply?"

Xavier couldn't help but smile at this. "Conditions? Well, not exactly in the way you're probably thinking. I only request that the rules here be followed, and that all powers and abilities never be used for evil purposes. And of course, you'll have to train. Well, Rachel? What do you think?"

Rachel never even blinked once. The fingers of her right hand could be seen tapping on her left wrist lightly, as she considered in silence. Her mind was still shielded well; Xavier could feel nothing of her thoughts. Then at last, she gave a nod.

"I'm happy enough to join you for the moment."

"Good." Xavier smiled and extended his hand, deciding not to question her about the last words: _for the moment_. "Welcome to the X-Men, Rachel."

Rachel shook his hand politely, without any warmth or enthusiasm. "Thanks, Professor."

Xavier leaned back again and laid his chin atop his hands. "So, Rachel, what powers do you have?"

"Not much. Flight, telekinesis, some mind powers, teleportation, and some others."

"Mind powers? What sort? Mind control…"

"No, not as extensive as yours. It's mostly an empathic type power. I can absorb and change people's emotions. And I can project mental illusions into people's minds as well."

Xavier nodded gravely. "Your abilities are far more impressive than you'll admit," he replied. I did see the recording of you fighting Plasmus on TV several times. I don't know what exactly you did back there, but I admit you did stun me. Five mutants spent fifteen minutes fighting Plasmus with no success, but you stepped in, and then the fight was over in barely a minute. What was that you did to him, when you released that raven?"

Rachel's face took on a rather guarded look, as if she thought the Professor was trying to breach a wall that should not be scaled. "My soul-self. That's all you need to know."

"Don't worry. I won't press you for any info you don't want to reveal." Xavier kept his voice reassuring and calm. "Are there other abilities I should know about?"

"I've a few others. Some time manipulation, inter-dimension traveling, hand-to-hand combat, pain and ability absorption. Among two others you don't need to know about." Rachel's gaze sharpened, her face suddenly shadowed by an unseen pain that Xavier felt more than saw.

Xavier nodded. "I wasn't going to pry, don't worry." He wondered how often he was going to have to repeat this particular phrase. Talking to Rachel, he privately thought, was like treading on ground infested with landmines. One wrong step, and something would explode. "You've got a far wider range of abilities than I originally thought," he went on. "It would certainly take an extraordinary person to stop you." He eyed Rachel briefly and wondered where she had inherited such powers from, and who had taught her to use them. Not that asking her would be an option, of course.

"I'll be the one training you first until you've gained more mastery over your powers. Once you've proven that you can control them well enough, you'll be allowed to join the other mutants for their training session. I'll have a uniform fitted for you once you become a full-fledged X-Man."

"No thank you." Rachel's reply was immediate. "There's no need for that. I'm sticking with what I'm wearing, and that's final."

"If you wish. That's not important." He smoothly changed the topic. "You said you have little control over your powers, correct?"

Rachel nodded gravely.

"Well, that can be remedied. Starting from tomorrow, I shall teach you a few power-controlling techniques. I believe you have the potential to be one of the most powerful fighters here, with the proper training."

Rachel's expression couldn't be described as anything other than skeptical.

"Don't worry. You're not the only one with that sort of issues. Rogue had similar problems when her mutancy first manifested itself. Similar training techniques I used for her may work on you as well."

"You'd better hope so." Rachel narrowed her eyes and folded her arms over her chest defensively. "For all your sakes, you'd better hope so."

**Yes, I know this was pretty short and boring, but truth be told, I wasn't originally planning to put this in. It was a last-minute decision to try and fill out a gap and give an explanation of Raven's powers. The next chapter should be longer. **

**Just to let you know, since Raven from the Teen Titans cartoon series and comics have different powers, I'm going to use a combination of powers from both the TV series and comics. **

**To ****BlackWerewolfOfPurpleRoses**** and ****Howlingatmoon****, thanks a lot for your good ol' reviews! It's your nice reviews that's keeping me so motivated! I'll try and finish the next chapter ASAP. **


	5. Training and Interactions

Rachel levitated upwards and crossed her legs under herself, eyes shut. Back straight, she rested her hands on her knees and breathed in and out deeply, forming the perfect pose of concentration. Her hood had been drawn over her dark head, casting eerie shadows over her concealed face. Xavier watched her, taking note of her mental state. For now, it was in a state of calm and tranquility, completely lacking the earlier turmoil and darkness he had sensed. Looking at her, Xavier smiled slightly. A way had just opened itself, and walking that road could lead to their first goal.

"So, meditating is the first step to attaining the required mental state," the Professor mused, more to himself than to Rachel.

Rachel's pose did not change, but it was evident she had heard each word. "Meditation has _always _been helpful enough," she replied. "At least, helpful enough to suppress some of my powers."

"Then we shall work on that as our first step." Xavier knotted his fingers together absently. "Tell me, which of your powers do you have the least control over?"

"It doesn't work that way," Rachel replied flatly. "The moment I get angry or use too much of _any _of my powers, everything gets out of control. Huge amounts of energy come blasting out, and I normally can't do anything to quench it immediately. By the time I gain control over it, everything around me is already gone."

"That can be helped. I believe combining your power usage with some meditation techniques could do the trick. Do you know what I mean?"

"I'm getting a rough idea."

"Meditation is the key to keeping your powers in check. We shall try and incorporate that into your power-wielding. Start off with meditating first, until your mind is in a state of complete calm. Then gradually increase the amount of energy released, while keeping your mind in a semi-meditative state. Try it. Those objects there are for you to move around."

"Right." Rachel snapped into battle mode in the blink of an eye as she lowered herself onto the ground and extended a hand in the direction of a small stool. Black telekinetic energy surrounded the stool, while Rachel strove to keep her mind in a partially meditative state. It was harder than she had anticipated; this was not something she had attempted before. The stool moved around unsteadily, hovering up and down, and Rachel grimaced.

"This isn't going to work."

"That's not really the point at the moment. The point of this is to make sure that your emotions and powers are stable first. Once you can control them, I shall train you to exert better control over the _objects_ you wish to move. Try again. Keep your mind calm…good. That's it."

Rachel let the stool drop, dispelling the energy around it for several moments. Xavier remained silent and watched. There was no point in hurrying her yet.

Rachel spent the next hour trying to find a method of focusing on both semi-meditating and using her telekinesis at the same time. It was utterly surprising, she thought, how effective a method it seemed to be. With her emotions calm and steady, her powers seemed to be following. Maybe, just maybe, there was hope to be found in this.

"Alright, I think you've had enough for one day," Xavier finally said, with a little smile. "Good work, Rachel. Meet me here the same time tomorrow. You'll have everything under control in no time."

Rachel thanked the Professor and departed, her mind deep in thought. On the way back to the room she had been assigned, she nearly bumped into Kitty, who was humming as she strolled down the corridor.

"So, Rachel, how's your training?"

Rachel shrugged. "Progress is slow at the moment."

"Ah well." Kitty waved a hand through the air with a smile. "That doesn't matter. Everyone else here had the same issue when we first arrived. Besides, with the Professor training you, you'll have nothing to worry about."

Rachel smiled a taut, stiff smile. "I wish that were so," she muttered, inaudibly.

Kitty nodded brightly. "Hey, you wanna meet the other mutants here?" she suggested. "Now that I think about it, I don't think you've met all the others yet. Want me to introduce you?"

The expression on Rachel's face was unreadable. "Alright," was all she said.

If Kitty thought Rachel was being cold and aloof, she said nothing about it. Instead, she took Rachel by the wrist in a friendly gesture and dragged her upstairs.

"Hello! Hey guys, do come out from your room now and meet the new girl on the block!" Kitty's voice rang out louder than usual. "Don't be unfriendly here!"

The door next to them opened, and a boy of about seventeen popped his head out curiously. He was handsome in his own way, with short brown hair and twinkling brown eyes to match. His eyes landed on Kitty first, then settled on Rachel.

"Ah, so you're the newcomer!" he burst out. "Nice to meet you! I'm Bobby." He extended his hand, and Rachel shook it, in an almost wary manner. "Rachel Roth, right?"

"Yes."

"We were starting to wonder when you would appear and make yourself known to us," Bobby went on. "We saw the recording of you fighting that goo monster on TV! You were quite a wonder girl back then, you know."

"It's nothing."

"Oh, but it is!" Bobby cried. "Everyone's been wanting to talk with you. There's no-one here who's not wondering how you did that. Hey Roberto! Rachel's here now!"

The door behind Bobby swung open further, and Bobby's Brazilian roommate Roberto made his appearance, toweling off his wet dark hair. His eyes were nearly as black as his hair, and his skin was well-tanned. He eyed Rachel for a moment, apparently taking in the sight of her weird clothes, then he seemed to remember his manners and tossed his towel aside, giving Rachel's hand a vigorous shake.

"So this is the great Rachel Roth," he smiled, his green revealing very white teeth. "You're something of a _celebridade_…how do you say it…ah, a celebrity now. Feeling a bit famous now?"

Rachel was saved from replying by the appearance of two other girls, a green-eyed, red-haired teen and an Asian girl with twinkling dark eyes. Both girls widened their eyes as they saw Rachel, their mouths forming a little 'o'. Then the Asian girl hurried forward first, seizing Rachel's hand in a surprisingly powerful grip.

"Rachel Roth!" she exclaimed, with frank delight. "_How _nice to meet you! I'm Jubilation Lee, and this here is our little Scotswoman, Rahne Sinclair."

"Roberto's little Scot girlfriend, that is," Bobby murmured in Rachel's ear.

"Hey! I heard that, ice-boy!" Rahne snapped, wagging a finger at him, before jabbing him in the side with her elbow. With her other finger, she tapped her ear lightly. "Did you forget I've got the ears of a wolf?"

"Literally or metaphorically speaking?" Bobby replied cheekily.

"Both, you _gowk_," Rahne retorted, but though her tone sounded annoyed, her eyes were twinkling.

"Ah, you and your Scots vocabulary," Bobby sighed, shaking his head. "I shall pretend you didn't just call me a dolt." His easy liveliness was already beginning to relax Rachel a little. "Now, where are the others? I thought Jamie was dying to meet Rachel."

"Jamie's out with Tabitha, Ray and Amara," Rahne replied. "Evan and Ororo are out on some aunty-nephew bonding trip. Samuel and Hank are having some discussion somewhere. And Alex and Warren are out to run some errands. As for Kurt…" Rahne paused and winked.

"He's out on a date with his darling Amanda as usual," Jubilation completed, and chuckled.

Kitty snorted with amusement and patted Rachel on the shoulder. "Don't you worry about their perpetual jokes," she said lightly. "Jesting is pretty much a part of our life now. And you are one of us now, yes?"

To that, Rachel had no definite answer yet.

**Ok, yes, I know this was quite boring, sorry! This chapter wasn't exactly planned out, I admit. **


	6. An X Man at Last

_**~Two months later~**_

"Hey Rahne! Over here! Throw it to me! To me, Rahne!"

It was a fairly warm, sunny day, and the mutants were enjoying a game of Frisbee out in the garden. Six members made up each team, both sides playing with all the vigour springing from their youth and exuberance. Logan, Scott and Jean supervised them from the sides, careful to keep a safe distance lest the rather dangerous-looking disc struck them. Shouts, loud and commanding, were constantly pouring out from several mouths at the same time. Rahne had the disc in her hands now, and was looking round frantically, keeping a tight lock on it with her fingers.

"Here, Rahne! Pass it to me!" Bobby bellowed, waving his arms around madly.

"Here!" Rahne cunningly twisted to the left, then, at the last moment, flipped right and tossed the disc to Bobby.

"Whoa!" Bobby half-stumbled backwards in his efforts to grab the disc, and came close to losing his footing altogether. Reacting quickly, he thrust his hand forward and deftly created an ice slide to guide the disc to him. Laughing with glee, he grabbed the disputed object and promptly regained his balance, arm drawn back to throw.

"Bobby, here! I'm open!" Amara shouted, jumping up and down.

Bobby tossed it, but someone else on the opposite team was quicker than Amara. In the blink of an eye, Ray jumped upwards and snagged the disc with a skillful manoeuvre, immediately passing it to Samuel. The mutants were already starting to move in the opposite direction now, barking out more orders.

"Here, here! Jamie, pass it to me! Here!"

As if out of nowhere, Rachel materialized herself, her long dark cloak billowing slightly in the mild breeze. Bobby's team had just scored a goal, and all six members were yelling and whooping as if they had just won the World Cup. Jean chuckled at a particularly funny comment someone made, and turned round to face Rachel. "Ah, Rachel, there you are. The mutants are just having a game of Frisbee now. Do you want to join in soon?"

"No thanks."

Jean nodded, but refrained from saying anything more. In the two months since Rachel had joined them, the mutants had already adjusted to her odd behaviour well enough. Though no-one with brains could doubt that Rachel was always cold, aloof and mysterious, no-one could say that she was arrogant or hostile. Taciturn and secretive she might be, but she never failed to be helpful and cooperative, frequently offering help to whoever needed it.

And of course, no-one could say that she was slow to learn.

"Hey Rachel!" Kitty turned a brilliant smile on Rachel and waved to her. In a short amount of time, they had already formed a close friendship. "You want to join us? You can take my place if you want."

"No thanks."

"Alright. Come on, guys." Kitty clapped her hands sharply. "Let's continue. The losing team will clean _all _the toilets in the Institute for two weeks!"

Scott chuckled with amusement. "Trust Kitty to come up with such a pleasant punishment." He glanced sideways at Rachel, who was standing quite a distance away from him and Jean. The expressionless, cool look on her face was one that he had accustomed himself to already. Adjusting to her had not been easy, but it had certainly been worth it.

The game went on, far more intense now. Kitty's team scored another goal soon enough, and roars of joy split the air, while the other team audibly groaned. Someone was grumbling something about too much toilet cleaning to do for losing a mere game. Playful retorts rang out at once, then the game went on. Ray scored the first goal for his team, and all six mutants went berserk, whooping and cheering. Someone said something about toilet-cleaning not being in store for them after all, and some minor disagreement broke out.

"Hah, at this rate, _both _sides will end up cleaning all the toilets," Logan snorted.

The disc continued to fly wildly through the air as the twelve mutants nearly fell over in trying to reach it. It was the last fifteen minutes of play, and they were desperate to score another goal for the team. Methods were getting slightly rougher, and the decibels were going up too. In the end, it was Kitty who saved her team from the chore of toilet-cleaning for a fortnight. As Samuel moved to grab the disc, Kitty made a magnificent dive forward and phased through Samuel, snagging it. Everything around her blurred, and without thinking, she hurled the disc forward before losing her balance, tripping heavily.

"GOAL!"

Even the gruff Logan couldn't refrain from snorting with amusement as Kitty's team jumped and clapped and cheered madly. The other team was looking most put-out and groaning. Bobby clapped Rahne on the back, then turned to the other team.

"You can all enjoy toilet-cleaning for the next two weeks!" he hollered.

"Oh, you have _got _to be kidding me," Ray muttered, holding his head.

Caught up in the excitement, Kitty barely noticed the scrapes on her hands and knees. Laughing and shaking her fist in the air, she headed over to Amara to clap her on the back, before noticing Rachel.

"Looks like six happy mutants can enjoy a fortnight of smelling stinky toilets and bathrooms!" Kitty chuckled.

Rachel's lips twitched, as if she wasn't quite sure whether smiling would be an appropriate response. Then her gaze dropped to Kitty's badly bruised and scratched palms, and a slight frown creased her brows.

"Here." Without waiting for Kitty's response, Rachel took her left palm and let her own free hand hover over it. Pale blue light sprung out immediately, engulfing Kitty's hand. When Rachel withdrew her hand moments later, the red mark was gone.

"Thanks. Ah, that feels _so _much better," Kitty said gratefully. Looking up at Rachel, she gave a cheerful grin. "At least we can have free doctoring here now," she added mischievously. "Yo guys! Is there anyone else with other injuries? We've a free doctor here!"

"Yes, I've got a scarlet line her which I believe needs doctoring!" Bobby announced.

"Me too! My knee hurts as well!" Roberto called out.

Rachel's expression was one of partial amusement as she glanced at Bobby's palm. "Really, Bobby, that's only a scratch," she remarked wryly. "I didn't think you were so sensitive."

"What else could be expected of ice-boy?" Rahne chuckled, as Rachel decided to administer some treatment anyway, before working briefly on Roberto's apparently sore knee.

"Honestly, what's up with them?" Scott grumbled, arms folded. "I hardly think the game was vigorous enough to induce such injuries. I've seen them playing a lot rougher before."

"That's not the point," Jean pointed out. "They're just trying to draw out Rachel a bit more. You know, make excuses to lighten her up or make her laugh." Seeing Scott's look, she added, "I'm a telepath, you know."

"I'll eat my bed whole if I see Rachel laugh," Scott replied, but he was smiling as he said this.

The mutants from the losing team were crowding around Rachel now, looking at her with imploring eyes. Logan, Scott and Jean clearly heard them asking Rachel to help them with the toilet-cleaning, saying that with her telekinesis, everything could be done so much faster. Rachel was not answering immediately. Hands were clasped, and eyes pleaded eloquently, until Rachel finally nodded.

"Alright. I don't see any problem with that."

It was at that moment that Xavier wheeled himself out into the garden, with Ororo and Hank behind him. The rest of the mutants followed behind in a large group, all of them looking somewhat bemused. Xavier clapped his hands sharply to get everyone's attention, and everyone immediately shut their mouths, turning towards him. Both Hank and Ororo were smiling broadly, as if they found something extremely amusing. Xavier turned towards Rachel, and she clearly heard his telepathic voice in her head.

_Rachel, come stand here by me for a moment. _

Rachel did so at once.

"X-Men, I have an announcement to make." Xavier looked up at Rachel and laid a hand on her shoulder. "You all know by now that Rachel has been with us for two months. Her training has progressed with remarkable speed since she arrived, and I think it's time to move on." Xavier gave one of those rare, broad smiles people so seldom saw. "Rachel Roth, congratulations. You are now officially a full-fledged X-Man."

Rachel's eyes flew open, their size doubling. It was evident she had known nothing about this. The other X-Men looked on with overt astonishment and delight, and then, in unison, they begin to clap and cheer. Rachel's face was turning a pale red, the first sign of open emotions she had ever demonstrated. Xavier was still smiling, looking most approving. Rachel's mouth moved slightly, apparently struggling to find the right words to say. "Professor," she finally stuttered. "You…you really mean it? I'm an X-Man now?"

"Rachel, I would never joke about something like this. I mean what I just said. You're an X-Man now." Xavier extended a hand towards Rachel and shook it warmly.

"I – I don't believe this," Rachel was whispering. "You're letting me be one of you? Really?"

"Of course, Rachel. You've proved your worth many times over these two months. There's nothing else I can do except make you one of us."

Rachel never had time to reply to that, for the other mutants begin to crowd around her, congratulating her and saying how glad they were that Rachel was now an official X-Man. Rachel seemed somewhat overwhelmed, and was murmuring several replies as politely as possible. Kitty clapped Rachel on the back, and turned to the Professor.

"Professor, does this mean Rachel can now train with us?" she asked excitedly.

"Oh, yes. In fact, I was just going to request that you include Rachel in your training starting from tomorrow."

"Of course, Professor!" Bobby grinned, sticking up a thumb. "We'd love that!" The identical gleam in the eyes of all the mutants told the Professor only one thing: they were all looking forward to pitting their skills against Rachel's.

**Sorry readers, I know these few chapters have been a little boring, since they're mostly serving as an introduction. I promise, I'll try to make the next ones better. **


	7. Something Within

The training equipment had been set up to perfection by Scott and Logan, who had spent hours making sure it worked fine. The machined had been designed to fling out numerous sharp-edged discs at the same time. The aim was for the mutants to block all those discs before any hit them, thus keeping their powers and reflexes sharp.

"Ice-boy, you're up first!" Logan said.

"Hey, it's _Iceman_," Bobby protested, but no-one seemed to notice.

"Go, Bobby!"

Scott pressed the activator button, and bright red discs promptly came flying out, cutting through the air with a sharp whizzing noise. Bobby planted his feet firmly on the ground and bunched his hands into fists, shooting out a steady, broad beam of ice at the discs. Within a second, they were frozen in ice balls, dropping helplessly to the ground. Bobby drew back a little, then he swung back his arms and aimed several more ice bolts towards the other discs. Ice fragments begin to litter the ground as Bobby worked at top speed, clearly enjoying every moment of it as he attempted to show off as much as possible, especially to Jubilation. The last three discs came whirling towards him at top speed, and Bobby, loving all the attention he was sure he was getting, created a swirling ice slide and manouevred himself on it skillfully, laughing aloud as he iced down all three discs, before somersaulting off the slide, dropping a bow to the audience.

"Show off!" Rahne chuckled, shaking her head.

"OK, Roberto, you're up next!"

"Oooh, now Rahne will get to see her sweetheart in action," Amara whispered to Tabitha. It was common knowledge that Roberto and Rahne were far more than just friends. Even Rachel was aware of that.

One by one, all the mutants were called up to demonstrate their wide range of skills. Rachel watched everyone closely, taking note of their methods and abilities. All of them were already highly skilled, and seemed to lack difficulty completely. Drawing in a deep breath, she let out a steady stream of air through her mouth, clenching her fists. She would be called up last, that she knew. She knew for certain that she would have no difficulty in stopping the discs easily, but her power control was still an issue. It was the first time since joining the Institute that she would have to use her powers with other people present. Could she do this? If anything went wrong, it would be her new friends who bore the brunt of it.

"OK, Rachel, you're up next."

_I can do this! I can do this! _Rachel kept telling herself. _It's just like the times when I trained with the Professor. Nothing different. _

"Ready, Rachel?" Scott enquired.

Rachel nodded. "Ready."

Rachel braced herself and held her hands out in front of her, eyes fixed on the machine. Scott pressed the button, and then Rachel was confronted by the flying discs. This was not too difficult, she thought. Her power rose up strongly in her, and she sent out a blast of telekinetic energy, suspending all the discs in mid-air before dropping them. The next batch of discs came flying; again, Rachel tackled them with ease.

"Impressive," Logan remarked with approval.

Scott kept the machine going for another minute, watching Rachel closely. She was handling everything pretty well for someone who was trying it for the first time. Now all that was left was to see how quickly she could response to surprises.

"Good job, Rachel." Scott smiled as Rachel took down the last five discs and watched the machine closely. Another minute or two passed, and no more discs came whizzing through the air. Deciding that it was over, Rachel turned her back on it and headed off to the side.

Without warning, five more discs came flying out. Kitty yelled out a warning, staring at her friend with shock and apprehension. Rachel heard her shout, and in a flash, she whirled round in the blink of an eye, thrusting out her arms. There was an almighty blast of energy, and a gigantic black cloud emerged, striking the machine head-on with a tremendous _KABOOM! _Bits of metal and wires and springs spread up and out like a fountain, striking the ground with dull thuds. Gasps of shock permeated the air, and time seemed to stand still for a brief moment. Rachel still had her arms stuck out in front of her, her eyes wide and shock-filled.

"Rachel, I think you really didn't have to go that far," Kitty said shakily.

"I – I didn't mean to blow that thing up!" Rachel sucked in her breath sharply, and suddenly, another telekinetic blast exploded without warning. Rachel thought she might go into panic mode, and struggled to remember Xavier's advice. It didn't help much; everyone was staring at her as if she had just turned into a monster, and Rachel felt their emotions with blinding clarity. All of them were extremely nervous, and Rachel could hardly blame them.

_Gah! Did this have to happen when EVERYONE was here? Now this will confirm that I'm really a freak who can't even handle a mild surprise! _

Jean cleared her throat and struggled to clamp down on the rising tension before it exploded like a bomb. "Everyone, don't you worry. That was just a machine; it can be fixed. Off to the pool now for the next round."

No-one moved immediately. Rachel remained standing where she was, apparently still in shock. Most of the mutants were looking either scared or unsure. It seemed that Rachel's uncalled-for and unexpected show of power had robbed them of their wits. Jean took in the situation at a glance and sighed before clapping her hands sharply.

"Don't just stand around there," she barked, assuming command efficiently. "It's just a machine, not a pot of gold. Off to the swimming pool now. I'll take care of this."

Muttering amongst themselves, the mutants finally departed.

"I really didn't mean to do that," Rachel whispered, once her comrades had gone. "Jean, you have to believe…"

"It doesn't take a telepath to know that," Scott replied kindly. "The Professor already told us that you might have some issues with controlling your powers. That's something lots of us have to face, anyway. So don't worry. I'll clean up the mess. Maybe you should go back to your room and take a break."

Rachel chewed the inside of her mouth uncertainly. "Perhaps I can help you clean up," she suggested awkwardly.

"Um…" Scott flashed Logan a meaningful glance. "Thanks, but you needn't do so. I think a time out would benefit you more."

"Of course." Rachel's insides tightened, and she felt her lips pinching into a straight line. "Forgive me. I forget sometimes that I can be more trouble than help."

"Rachel, I didn't mean…"

Rachel held up a hand to stop Scott's flow of words. "Save it, Scott. No point trying to console me with honeyed words. I know myself better than that." With that, she drew her hood over her head and teleported back to her room before Scott could open his mouth to respond.

_Damn, damn, damn! _Back in her room, Raven shut the door quietly and threw herself onto her bed, holding her head in her hands. She cursed herself mentally, screaming at herself for her stupidity. Why had she let herself get so startled that she had ended up loosing that amount of power? She should have stayed calm and controlled, and treated the discs as a mild obstacle, not as some sort of danger that could have ended her life. But she had. She had startled herself and let those emotions out, and in doing so, she had exposed her ugly side.

_Why must this happen? _her mind screamed. _Why am I always this way? Was the Professor's training all in vain? I thought I could do better than this! _

_

* * *

_

"Professor? Can I come in?"

Xavier turned his wheelchair round, already knowing that Jean was about to see him even before she had knocked. His face was most grave, and Jean knew he already knew what had happened.

"No-one is to fault Rachel for what happened," Xavier begin, without giving Jean a chance to speak. "That was not an intentional doing on her part."

"Yes, I thought so," Jean agreed. She thought back to the scene when Rachel had been so startled, and hesitated before asking her question. "Professor, did you feel the change in her at that moment? When the shock came, I thought I felt something in her briefly, something other than shock. It was as if there was a darker side in her striving to emerge. Was I imagining that?"

"Not at all." Xavier frowned and drummed his fingers on the armrest. "I felt it too at that moment. Something in Rachel snapped, and I sensed a fairly powerful, darkish side almost arising. It was quelled quickly enough, though."

Jean shivered to recall that feeling. "What was that?" she whispered. "I never felt anything like that before. I've always known that Rachel was somewhat…odd and mysterious, with a lack of control over her powers, but I never knew there was something like that in her. It was like a monster trying to emerge from a cage within her."

"Oh, yes." Xavier's gaze drifted to the wall behind Jean's red head, distant and thoughtful. "Oh, yes. There is a monster waiting to escape her, alright."

**Yes, I know that Rachel's personality here is quite different from the original, so just to let you know, this takes place BEFORE she goes to Azarath to learn to control her emotions and that kind of stuff. **


	8. The Power of her Fury

Rachel sensed danger in the air the moment she woke up at seven o'clock in the morning. Her forehead was damp with sweat, and her heart was pounding with sufficient strength to free itself from her ribcage. The room was dark, but Rachel's eyes took in none of the blackness. Her inner mind was still alight with the images that had blazed through it just moments ago. A pink-haired, pink-eyed girl resembling a witch, a tiny, bald boy with more machines than flesh attached to him, and a huge, hulking beast that looked more like some sort of animal than a human, though he was bipedal.

Several meters away, Kitty muttered something in her sleep and turned over, her back facing Rachel.

_Looks like I'm the only one who knows about this! _Rachel thought. With all thoughts of sleep banished, Rachel kicked her blanket away and teleported to Xavier's room.

The Professor was still sound asleep, though he seemed somewhat restless. Ignoring all basic manners, Rachel flicked on the light switch and strode to his bedside, shaking him.

"Professor, wake up!"

Xavier groaned and turned over slightly, his hand swatting at Rachel as if she were an irritating fly.

_Professor! _Rachel tried screaming at him telepathically, hoping it would work better than her physical voice. _Wake up! Something's going on not too far from here! Wake up! _

Again, Xavier groaned and flipped over in bed.

"PROFESSOR! WAKE UP!" Rachel bellowed.

Xavier gasped aloud and jerked upright abruptly, clearly startled. His head whipped round, then he came eye-to-eye with Rachel.

"Rachel! What on earth is going on?"

"I sense danger going on right now! You wouldn't wake up, so I had to shout."

"Danger? Where?" Xavier was already reaching for his wheelchair.

"I'm not sure where exactly it is, but I can trace it psychically," Rachel replied, pushing the wheelchair towards Xavier before helping him into it. "Do I wake up the rest?"

"Yes, sound the emergency alarm."

Rachel teleported away and Xavier pursed up his lips thoughtfully. Rachel's psychic abilities were certainly far stronger than he had thought, if that sense of danger could have woken her. The alarm was already ringing; in moments, there would be aid.

_Professor, what's going on? _Jean asked telepathically.

_Talk to Rachel. She woke up me, saying she sensed danger. _

_Alright. Got it. _

Within minutes, all the mutants had gathered downstairs in their pyjamas, groggy and bleary-eyed. Xavier wasted no time in telling them what had happened. "Scott, Jean, Logan, Rogue and Rachel, I want you to handle this. Kitty, Kurt, Hank, stand by and get ready to back them up if necessary. The rest of you can go back to bed."

Scott, Jean, Logan and Rogue hurried upstairs and tore off their pyjamas, pulling on their X-Men costume with quick, deft hands. Rachel waited outside, her eyes unfocused and distant, as if seeing something beyond the horizon. As the doors flew open again, Rachel snapped back to the present.

"I've got a fix on their location. I'll teleport us there." Rachel spread out her arms and engulfed the group in black energy. In two seconds, all of them were gone.

It was not hard at all to see why Rachel had been so urgent. By the time they reached the scene, everything was in chaos. The few people who happened to be there were screaming crazily and running round like mad animals. Glass, dirt and even pieces of metal littered the chaotic streets. Lying on the pavements along with the debris were other store objects that had clearly been flung out: clothes, electronic items, even food. A ray of pink energy burst out from within one of the stores just meters away, and all five X-Men cast each other a meaningful nod and glance before taking off.

"Gosh, what is all this junk here?" a high-pitched female voice exclaimed. "White, pink, blue, green…don't they have anything _black_?" There was a shuffling sound, and several pieces of clothes were tossed out rudely. "Geez! Is there no-one her who has _any _sense of fashion at all?"

"I think your next outfit will be black-and-white. Satisfied?" Logan could bear it no more and burst in first, claws extended.

The pink-haired, black-clad shop breaker whirled round to face Logan, large pink eyes taking in the sight of him. Her right hand was in the midst of chucking out a white dress. She didn't seem afraid at all, just curious.

"What's this?" the girl asked, looking Logan up and down. "An extra large male kitty with extra long claws? Miao!" She winked at him as she curved her own fingers like claws.

"I'll show you kitty!" Logan snarled, as he lunged forward.

The pink girl merely chuckled and made several magnificent somersaults backwards with graceful ease. "You'll have to do better than that!" she laughed, as she rewarded Logan with a blast of pink energy rays.

The rays never struck Logan after all. As Logan prepared to move, a black energy shield manifested right in front of him, blocking off the pink rays. Rachel came flying into the store at top speed, with Scott, Jean and Rogue following behind. The pink-haired girl cast a look at her, and her eyes widened.

"Wow! What are you? A witch? An emo?" she exclaimed.

"Neither," Rachel retorted. "I'm here to end your career as a shoplifter and trouble-maker!" She drew back her hand and thrust it outwards, sending out a huge telekinetic blast. Taken by surprise, the pink girl gave a yell of shock as she was blasted backwards with full force.

"Mammoth! Gizmo! Time to take down some good guys!" she bellowed.

"They're coming from behind!" Rachel snapped, drawing back her right arm in preparation for the next attack.

"Rachel, take down the pink girl!" Scott called out. "Jean, help me with this…this big guy! Logan, Rogue, take care of the other one!"

"Got it!"

The pink girl had picked herself up, and was now charging back towards Rachel, her face twisted with annoyance. Rachel kept an eye on her every move, and as pink rays came flying out, Rachel automatically threw up a telekinetic shield around herself, before looking around for some objects to fling at her opponent. Well, those 'objects' were mostly clothes, but they were certainly better than nothing. Releasing the shield, Rachel lifted up a huge bunch of clothes hanging on the racks with her telekinesis and shot them right towards the girl.

"You'll need much more than that to take me down!" she taunted.

"I suggest you refrain from angering me," Rachel replied coldly.

"Why? Because you're going to kick my ass until I beg for mercy? Too bad, that won't happen! I'm bad luck, after all!" She flipped backwards and aimed another energy bolt towards the ground beneath Rachel's feet.

Rachel anticipated the move well and immediately levitated upwards several meters, moving away from the spot. The pink girl cursed aloud and attacked again, this time using her body. Martial arts were clearly something she excelled in. Arms and legs begin to move in a deadly sequence of attack maneuvers, forcing Rachel back for several moments as he lowered herself to the ground again. But if the girl thought she could hold her ground against Rachel, she was wrong. Rachel held back for just three or so seconds, and then she retaliated. It had been quite some time since she had tried hand-to-hand combat, but when it came down to such a situation, all the old training she had kicked back in. With more speed and skill than she realized she had, Rachel fought back, hard. Her opponent was obviously growing angrier by the second. Deciding to end the fight quickly, Rachel used a well-practiced defensive move to block her opponent, before sweeping her leg outwards, knocking the pink girl over heavily. Before she could rise again, Rachel promptly engulfed her in a bubble of dark energy, rendering her immobile.

"You little punk!"

"What punk?" Rachel retorted coldly, as she moved towards the girl cautiously, hand extended forward. "I see only _one _punk here, _Jinx_. And you're leaving me with no choice but this." Using a trick she had learned before, she dealt Jinx a swift blow to the side of her temple, stealing her consciousness in a flash.

Many meters away, her four comrades were still engaged in a ferocious battle with the other two thieves. Neither villain knew when to give up; Logan, Rogue, Scott and Jean were still fighting ferociously, dripping with sweat now. Rogue had both gloves off, and was trying to reach Gizmo's body. But with his huge spider legs, he towered more than ten feet above them, making it impossible for Rogue to establish skin-to-skin contact. Another missile sprung forth from Gizmo, narrowly missing Logan and Rogue. Rogue swore aloud, rolled aside, and jumped upright again, gritting her teeth with anger.

"Why isn't cutting these blasted legs working?" Logan snarled.

Gizmo laughed a high, irritating, childish laughter. "Too bad, stinker!" he jeered. "These legs are harder and stronger than your stinking adamantium claws! You can't touch me up here!"

"But I can!" Seeing the trouble, Rachel flew forward, arm extended, and sent out a whole series of telekinetic blasts, aiming for Gizmo's mechanical legs. There was a sharp _clang _sound, and then the two front legs had their length halved, making it impossible for him to maintain his balance. Squealing with outrage, he flapped his arms like a bird and went down hard.

From further away, Jean let out a scream as Mammoth barreled into her with full force before she could stop him. Her head struck the pavement as she fell, and Rachel felt all of Jean's pain and shock like a gunshot. Barking out an instruction to Logan which she herself barely heard, Rachel ran forward to help, trying to block out the sensation of pain she felt for Jean. Rage was starting to rise dangerously, at too quick a pace. Seeing a large rubbish bin nearby, Rachel levitated it upwards and directed it straight towards Mammoth with all her might, just as Scott blasted him again with his optic lasers. The combined force sent Mammoth flying backwards, a sickening crash resonating in the air as he hit the cement wall. For several moments, the battle seemed to be over, then, incredible as it sounded, Mammoth rose again, brushing away some rubbish from his clothes.

"What was that all about?" he enquired mockingly.

On the ground, Jean was moaning softly, swaying on her knees as she struggled to get up. Blood was already streaming down the left side of her face, leaving a long trail of red behind. Scott muttered an oath under his breath and hurriedly bent down to help her.

"You hurt her head, you beast!" Rachel gasped with rage.

"So what?" Mammoth retorted. "I _am _a beast, and besides, that bitch was the one who hit me first! I ought to have given her an ever bigger headache!"

Rachel swallowed and tried to control her breathing in an attempt to force back her fury. The power within her was already craving to find a way out, pushing and straining at the restraint Rachel was exerting over it. "Don't aggravate me further," she warned Mammoth softly. "Not unless you have a death wish. Leave my friends alone."

"I think you're the one who wishes to die." Mammoth grinned, revealing blackish teeth as he flexed the muscles in his huge arm. "Now, step out of the way and let me finish that red-haired bitch. I'll have my sport with you later."

"You back off!" Scott gasped.

"No-one tells Mammoth what to do!" Mammoth drew back his head, his muscles visibly straining as he lifted up a car nearby, raising it over his head. "Eat THIS!" With superhuman strength, he hurled it forward, aiming for Jean, the most helpless one around.

Rachel's arm shot outwards, halting the car in mid-air with her telekinesis. Mammoth was already making his next move even now, charging forward like a bull as he punched down into the ground with all his strength. The ground vibrated violently, and bits of cement sprayed upwards, showering over everyone. Scott tried to move Jean, but his reaction came too slowly, and both of them yelled aloud as the force jerked them off their legs and hurled them backwards. Jean groaned and went limp, unconsciousness setting in immediately. Scott grunted with pain and tried to untangle his legs, which had been twisted into a most awkward, unnatural position. Mammoth laughed aloud, rubbing his hands with glee.

"ENOUGH!" Rachel roared. All the rage and frustration that she had kept bottled up boiled over – and exploded. No-one was going to hurt her friends and escape unscathed. A cry forced itself from her lips, and Rachel felt an almighty explosion of power surging up, stronger than a tsunami. Her eyes glowed with an eerie, wicked red light, and gigantic clouds of black energy engulfed her body. Rogue and Logan stopped dead in their tracks, mouths hanging loose as they took in the sight. Was this what Xavier had meant when he said that Rachel's powers could get a little uncontrollable at times?

"Oh no, no, no," Logan muttered urgently. "This does _not _look good. Rachel? Rachel, you've got stop! Get a hold of yourself!"

In reply, Rachel released a tremendous roar that threatened to deafen everyone within a mile of the area, and raised her arms skyward. The dark energy around her body swirled and stretched outwards, forming even larger patches. Gone now was Mammoth's cockiness as he stared gaping at Rachel. Rachel's gaze flickered in his direction, and Mammoth automatically retreated.

"I SAID TO LEAVE MY FRIENDS ALONE!" Rachel roared. "Now you will pay for what you did!"

Mammoth screamed aloud as the black energy surrounded him, lifting him twenty feet above ground. He kicked and struggled and thrashed furiously, but it would not free him. Rachel laughed sinisterly, sounding like a true monster at that moment. Mammoth's body moved upwards a little further, then he came flying downwards with full force, smashing right into the pavement.

"Rachel, STOP!" Logan roared. "You're going too far! Stop it now!"

The next blast of energy emerged from Rachel, knocking over both Logan and Rogue. Logan eyed Rachel, and knew that no amount of speaking or coaxing would do the job. Rachel was truly out of control now, a raging fiend who could easily blow up the whole street if she wished. Now he knew what Xavier had really meant. Holding up a hand in front of his face to protect it from the gradually increasing energy, he grabbed Rogue's arm and pulled her to her feet.

"You have to touch her and knock her unconscious!" Logan shouted.

"I'm not going to absorb all that power!" Rogue shouted back, glaring at the swirling tornado of energy now surrounding Rachel. "Are you mad? If she can't control it, neither can I!"

"Just a quick touch! Hurry, or she'll blow us all up!" Logan ordered.

"Nooo!" Rachel cast Rogue a furious glance, freezing her in her steps. "Don't you dare touch me, Rogue! You will not absorb all my memories! You will not, I say!"

Rogue was hyperventilating now. "Logan…"

"The Professor should have been here himself to deal with this," he muttered. "There's nothing _we _can do about it. This girl is going mad!"

"Then call the Professor!" Rogue snapped.

It turned out that there was no need for that. As Logan begin to back away slowly, Xavier's mental voice floated into his mind, calm and soothing. _Logan, Rogue, do NOT get near Rachel now! This is beyond your ability. I'll handle this. Get Scott and Jean out of the way now! _

"You heard him," Logan said to Rogue.

Inching their way around the raging Rachel, the duo finally reached Scott, who was now cradling Jean's head in his lap, frantically trying to revive her. His gaze was wild and fearful, the look of a man with all his courage sucked out of him. Without waiting for them to speak, Logan swung Jean over his shoulder and staggered away, while Rogue pulled her glove back over her hand slung an arm around Scott's shoulder, aiding him away from the horrific scene.

"What…" Scott begin.

"The Professor said he'll deal with this one."

Staggering behind a wall a good ten meters away, the three conscious mutants laid Jean down on the ground and watched everything from behind the cement, gasping and shaking. Rachel had calmed down ever so slightly now; Xavier must already be working on her mentally. They heard only their laboured gasping for several moments, and then Rachel's telepathic voice sounded audibly.

_Calm down! Calm down! I'm in control here! Not you!_ _I am a child of the light, not the darkness! You will not manifest yourself in me now! Begone! _

"What?" Rogue narrowed her eyes and peered at Logan. "Who's she talking to? Surely not to the Professor!"

"I don't know, and I don't think I want to know," Logan muttered in reply.

For what seemed like an eternity, Rachel's inner battle raged like a demon, the fight lasting for a good half an hour. Then, at last, she begin to win it. The cloud of energy around her dispelled very slowly, and her eyes lost its eerie red glow. Logan, Scott and Rogue breathed in and did not breathe out again for some time. Instead, they waited with bated breath, not daring to move. Then, ever so slowly, Rachel's body descended to the ground, no longer hidden by black energy. Scott glanced at Logan, and, at a nod, they slowly advanced, leaving Rogue to take care of Jean. Rachel's body remained statue-still on the pavement for several seconds, then swayed and collapsed, just as Scott and Logan reached her, catching her deftly.

"Don't let him control me." Those were the last words Scott and Logan heard from her as Rachel's eyelids shut. _"Don't let him control me." _


	9. Karzor

_Rachel…Rachel…_

Groaning slightly, Rachel tried to open her eyelids, in vain. Had someone taped them down to her cheeks? They were heavy, oh so heavy…

_Do not try to wake your body. Look deep into your inner self, child. I am here in your mind. Open the eyes of your mind and see me now. _

For someone who had such strong psychic abilities, doing something like that wasn't the hardest thing in the world. Rachel let her physical body relax, while in her mind, she opened her inner eyes to see who was calling to her.

It was not someone she had ever seen before. The speaker was a man, or so she judged, from his deep voice. He was tall, far taller than any human man, his unusually long frame concealed by a long, shapeless robe of pure white. An odd emblem of black was embroidered at the front of his robe. Face and eyes were shadowed by a deep cloak and hood of snow white, but Rachel sensed the way his eyes were boring into her.

_Who are you? How did you know my name? _

_I am called Karzor. I am one of the monks from Azarath, and I call to you from across the world. Hear me out, daughter of Arella. _

_Daughter of Arella_? Rachel's body twitched slightly as she tried to get a grasp of the situation. _I don't know what you're talking about. I only know of one parent. _

_That I know. Daughter of Trigon. That is who you think you are, is it not? _

_Monk Karzor, how could you know so much about me? _Rachel could barely push out the apprenshion from her mind. _I don't even know what Azarath is, or who is the Arella you spoke about. How can you know all this about me? _

_Because I am the one who watched you as you emerged from your mother Arella's womb to enter the world of Azarath. _

_What? _

_Child, do you truly know this little about yourself? _Karzor's voice sounded distinctly melancholic. _Your birth is perhaps one of the most momentous events that could ever happen. How much do you know of yourself? _

_Enough to know what kind of destruction I'm capable of. _Rachel gathered up all her frustration and suspiciousness and poured it into her mind, letting Karzor know it. _Why should it bother you? You seem to know so much about me, and yet, you never even made yourself known to me before this! Do you expect me to pour out my life's story to you, as if you were my confidant? _

_No, child. That, never. Things are not what you think they are. I would have made myself known to you long before this, but circumstances dictated otherwise. Some things will always be beyond our power. _

_Then what do you want of me? _Rachel demanded, not too graciously.

_I am demanding nothing of you. Rather, I want to offer you something, for your own sake. Will you hear me out? _

_Go on, then. _

_I know the circumstances of your birth and your current state. I know what a struggle it is for you to keep your wild powers in check. And I know how to help you. Come to Azarath, and I will train you to control your abilities. You have a far greater power than anyone else. With it, you could destroy countries! _Karzor took a step forward and extended his arms, palms upwards. _Rachel, I understand that this is all sudden and strange to you, but you must trust me. _

_Trust you? _Rachel snorted mentally. _Why should I? You expect me to just waltz into Azarath and get some training for you? I've already got the Professor to train me. _

_It is beyond his abilities to help you. Yes, he can show you a few techniques and teach you how to combine meditation with your powers, but it never will be enough. There are forces in you that he could never comprehend. _

_And you can? _

_Yes, I can, Rachel. I am not of this world, like your X-Men friends. I was born and raised in another dimension, and as such, the mysteries of this world are well-known to me. And I know more about you than you do at the moment. Let me help you. When I felt and saw your power surge this morning, I knew it was time for me to appear before you. The Professor can never help you achieve the control you're craving, even now. _

_I…I _

_Look into my thoughts, if you will not believe me. I am telling you no lies. Come see into my mind. _

Slowly, Rachel penetrated the surface of his thoughts, very warily. Karzor kept his mind open, hiding nothing. Rachel continued to probe it, sensing his sincerity and honesty. There were no lies in him, as far as she could detect. But still she hesitated. It had never been in Rachel's wary nature to put blind trust in a complete stranger, and she was not about to make it a habit now.

_I will not pressure you into making a decision. Remember that, child. This choice is yours, and yours alone. _

_You are leaving now? _Rachel demanded, as Karzor begin to withdraw.

_I can sense your doubts and confusion, Rachel. Why stay here when I am not welcome? Besides, I will never be far from you. _

_So, I've got some sort of…invisible guardian in my mind now? _Rachel couldn't keep the sarcasm out of her tone.

Karzor seemed unperturbed by this. _This is your free choice, Rachel,_ he responded, ignoring her biting remark. _Remember that. And know also that I will remain in the depths of your mind. Call on me if you need me. You've looked into my mind; you felt my sincerity. Don't let your doubts keep you from doing what you must. Ah, now your Professor seeks to speak to your mind. Farewell for now, daughter of Arella. _And Karzor faded away into the distance until he was nothing more than a white wisp.

_Rachel? Rachel, can you hear me now? _

With some difficulty, Rachel tore her thoughts away from Karzor and responded as steadily as she could.

_Yes, Professor, I can hear you. _

_Are you alright, Rachel? You gave us all such a fright this morning. I feared I might not be able to pull you out of that state. _

_Did I kill anyone, then? _

_No. Fortunately not. You had enough strength to push back those powers of yours. And whatever darkness it was controlling you. _

_What? _On the gurney, Rachel's body jerked visibly. _What darkness? What are you talking about? Did you…_

_I felt it as I established psychic contact with you. Something evil was certainly trying to take control over your mind. Frankly, I still don't know how you stopped that alone. Would you like to tell me what that was? _

_Absolutely not! Did you already tell the other mutants about this? _

_No. But those who were with you this morning said they heard you speaking to someone in your mind, ordering it away. I can't doubt there's something living inside your mind, Rachel. How long has this been going on? _

Rachel groaned, hating the topic more than ever. _Must I answer that? _

_It's your choice. I'm not going to beat you up for keeping quiet. _

_Then allow me the privilege of not discussing this topic at all. How's Jean? _

_She's doing fine now. She'll be out of action for two weeks or so, but she'll survive without permanent damage. _

_Thank goodness. _

_We all owe you our thanks. If it were not for you, I fear Jean and the others would have had a far tougher time. _

_Owe me thanks? Even after what happened? You're joking, right? _

_Not at all. It was certainly unwanted, what happened, but no-one's going to fault you for that. You're not the first one here to undergo such a scenario. Rogue herself had to face that when her powers first manifested. Put that behind you, and move on. We're all here to support you, remember? Now, I suggest you rest first. When you've recovered, we'll continue this talk in private. _

_And how long have I been asleep? _

_A few hours. It's afternoon now. Go to sleep, Rachel. You're still exhausted physically and mentally. We'll talk later. Rest well for now. _

_Thanks, Professor. _Rachel felt his presence leaving the room, and then she was all alone. Relief washed over her, for she wanted no more conversations about the incident. Xavier was clearly fairly accepting about it, but Rachel was not. How could she have let that happen? She felt ready to leap up from the gurney and kick herself hard any moment. If Logan and the others had not kept their distance, if Xavier had not called out to her telepathically…

Nope, she refused to even let her thoughts wonder into that area.

And now, there was the matter of Karzor as well. Rachel was tempted to simply push the memory of him to the back of her mind and pretended that the odd conversation had never taken place, but such an action was decidedly impossible. His words were still echoing in her head, even now. His claims had seemed rather ludicrous, at least on the surface, but Rachel could not doubt that the sincerity she had sensed in him was real. Regardless of his motives for wanted to help her, he appeared to be harmless. Should she try to contact him in her mind again? Or should she simply ignore him and go on with life as usual? One way or the other, she knew there was no way she could escape the destiny that was already set out for her, just waiting for the right time to happen.

With a weary sigh, Rachel banished all those thoughts and blanked out her mind and let herself drift back into a deep sleep.

**Just to let you guys know, Karzor is an OC I'm making up just for this story, he does NOT appear in the comics or TV series. **


	10. Bonding Time

Much to Rachel's relief, Karzor made no more startling appearances in her head after that one conversation. His manifestation had been almost ephemeral, Rachel thought, too short and unbelievable to make much of an impact. Or at least, she liked to think so. What place could there be for such a weird monk in her life?

Almost a month had passed since Rachel had shown her monstrous side, and the topic had been long abandoned. Unbeknown to Rachel, Xavier had gathered the mutants together and warned them to say nothing about it to Rachel. He had kept his explanations to a minimum level, saying nothing whatsoever about the evil presence that had tried to take over Rachel. The mutants had looked as if they were thirsting for much more information, but Xavier had been adamant. Unless Rachel gave her consent, nothing else was to be disclosed.

Now, the X-Men were enjoying the weekend lazing around the mansion or the garden, several of them asleep. Rachel was meditating in her room, levitating several feet above her bed, eyes shut, when Kitty knocked and entered.

"Hi, Rachel. Well, this is a most relaxing day, isn't it?" Kitty smiled. "Why don't we hang out in the city somewhere, us and some of the others? Or we might die of boredom here."

"Yes, I suppose we could."

"Come on, then."

In the span of ten minutes, Kitty had gathered Amara, Roberto, Rahne, Bobby and Jubilation together. All of them had been rather lethargic and bored, but immediately brightened up as Kitty suggested they head to the city for a hanging-out session.

"I think it's time we help Rachel buy some new clothes," Jubilation piped up. "Now that I think about it, we've never seen her wear anything but those black-and-blue clothes. I say we fill out her wardrobe for her!"

"Now, now, Jub," Kitty admonished, wagging her finger comically, "don't say that without her permission! I think Rachel's clothes are great, even if they are slightly outlandish."

Though happiness had long been an alien to Rachel, she managed the slightest smile.

"Rachel, you would like that, wouldn't you?" Jubilation said coaxingly, patting her shoulder.

"Nope," Rachel admitted. "I wouldn't be caught dead wearing all your fancy clothes. You can buy them if you wish, but for yourselves only."

"Oh, come on. Be a sport. Just this once?" Rahne smiled.

"Don't you guys every give up?" Rachel enquired dryly.

"Nope. And that's what defines us as the proud X-Men!" Bobby grinned. "Alright. Me and Roberto will head off to do some boy's stuff. You girls can go do whatever you like." He winked and gave them a 'thumbs up' sign before leaving with Roberto.

"I sure hope their 'boy stuff' doesn't involve drinking or too much gaming," Rahne snorted.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they did," Amara giggled.

"Well, whatever it is, it's time for a major shopping spree!" Kitty grinned, rubbing her hands gleefully. "And I say we start shopping for some nice _black _clothes for our friend here. Rachel would like that, isn't it?"

"I suppose saying no isn't an option now, is it?"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Kitty took Rachel by the arm and literally pulled her along, hurrying her to her favourite store. "There's plenty of black Goth clothes here," Kitty said cheerfully. "Now, take your pick. I've enough money to pay for it."

"So, this is your idea of bonding, huh?" Rachel remarked dryly.

"Hey, are you reading my mind, then?" Kitty demanded playfully.

"I don't have to see into people's minds all the time to know their motives."

"Gosh, I would hate having to _try _to keep a secret from you," Jubilation sighed.

"I think this would suit you," Rahne called out, from the opposite side. With a grin, she held up a black dress. "Rachel, I really think you should try this on."

"I wouldn't be caught dead in that thing," Rachel replied, wrinkling her nose.

"I don't think dress is that bad," Rahne replied.

"Nope, it's too…plain," Kitty said. "Rachel will need something much sexier than that. Like this, for example." To demonstrate her point, Kitty selected a low-cut, strapless dress of black and held it up.

"I'd rather wear a sack than that."

"Then let's fetch a sack from somewhere and toss it over you."

"Really? You would dare try?" Rachel retorted, her lips twitching.

Jubilation opened her mouth to make a cutting reply, but something else grabbed the group's attention first. Outside, a woman screamed shrilly, shouting something about a man running off with her purse. A man's deeper voice rang out, bellowing an angry order. The girls cast each other a single look and immediately bolted out onto the streets, eyes open for trouble.

"There!" Rahne shouted, pointing a finger at a fleeing figure. His right hand was clutching a bright red purse, and a man was chasing him several feet behind, obviously the woman's husband.

"That's a pretty good runner! How on earth are we to…" Amara broke of her sentence mid-way and looked at Rachel as if she were the very answer.

"Well, then, let's see what happens when you're too lazy to tie up your shoelaces." Rachel moved her hand subtly, her lips set in a straight, grim line. Her friends couldn't see what exactly Rachel was doing to the thief's laces, but it became all too evident as he suddenly lost his balance and tripped over heavily. Within seconds, the woman's husband was kneeling atop him, keeping him down on the pavement while the woman hurriedly retrieved her purse, shaking a furious finger at the thief as she yelled at him, cursing in with rather colourful, coarse language.

"Whew." Kitty blew out her cheeks, watching as a newly-arrived police officer arrived and handcuffed the man, leading him away to his patrol car. "I think he really should learn the importance of tying up his shoelaces all the time if he really is that desperate to pick-pocket someone." Kitty chuckled at her own joke and clapped Rachel on the shoulder. "You've just earned yourself some new clothes for free! Now, girls, shall we head back to that shop? I think Rachel really deserves the sexiest dress on display."

Rachel gave one of her rare smiles, looking half-annoyed, half-amused at the same time. "I suppose I should have left the thief to one of you instead."

Laughing, glad that Rachel was willing enough to make a little joke of her own, the group headed back to the store.

_Good work, Rachel. _

Rachel automatically turned her head to look back. Unbelievable as it sounded, she actually saw Karzor standing several meters behind her, clad in his long white robe. Rachel narrowed her eyes, wondering if they were playing a trick on her.

_Remember that I'll be watching you closely from now on. _Karzor raised a hand as if in farewell and retreated, until he was barely visible. Rachel blinked, and then he was completely gone as if he had never even been there to begin with.

Rachel cast a final look at where he had been and decided not to even think about him anymore. After all, she already had such good friends in the form of the X-Men. Why should she want to leave them for some unknown realm?

**Yup, I know this chapter was dull, but I just wanted to show Rachel bonding with the X-Men. I'll try to make the next chapter better…with some fluff. **


	11. Eventful Valentine's Day

Rachel awoke early the following morning, aware of what day it was. With her empathic abilities, she could already sense the extreme excitement around her. Voices, loud enough to wake the dead, chattered outside the corridor at top speed. Inside their room, Kitty was already awake as well, humming softly as she applied some light make-up on her face. She had already put on her Valentine's Day clothes: a pink tank top and short black skirt. As Rachel stirred, Kitty turned towards her and grinned.

"Got a sweetheart waiting for you somewhere?"

"Huh!" Rachel snorted with amusement, rolling her eyes. "Valentine's Day! I can't imagine how or why something like this would even exist."

"Oh, come on!" Kitty drawled. "Have you no idea how _exciting _and _romantic _this day is? If you have no sweetheart, we can always hook you up with a blind date."

"Don't even think about it," Rachel growled. "Or I'll simply knock that person away with a good blast."

"How unromantic," Kitty sniffed, as she donned a silver chain around her neck.

"I have no sense of romance, and you know that."

"Really? No sweetheart? No crush?"

"No, and I don't care for one."

"But you'll at least join us, yes?"

Rachel's eyebrows arched until they were almost lost in her dark hair. "Are you saying you guys want me to hang around you while you get all lovey-dovey?"

Kitty's face reddened slightly. "There'll be no lovey-dovey stuff," she insisted. "We'll hang out with our dates for some time, then we'll gang together for a group outing. It's what we did the last year, and we're doing it again. Come on, Rachel. We'd love you to join us."

"For the outing, yes. Not for the dates."

"Are you sure about that? You could always come and join me and Lance if you want."

"I'd rather dine with a rat than Lance Alvers."

Kitty chuckled, knowing well how much Rachel disliked the Brotherhood mutant. "Alright, then. We'll come back here and meet up with you for the group outing later, then. Wanna come out for now and see the couples pairing up?" Kitty's eyes gleamed with mischief.

"I don't suppose saying no would be an option, would it?"

Rachel alone was not dressed up for this romantic day. As she and Kitty emerged, Rachel saw that all the mutants were dressed up in their finest clothes, most of them carrying flowers and parcels in their hands. Though she had claimed she didn't care for romance, Rachel could not help but feel a twinge of envy, seeing her friends so much at ease with their respective dates. What wouldn't she give for unconditional love!

Scott and Jean, a long-time couple, were of course heading out for a date together. Bobby, looking more handsome than ever in a white shirt and black pants, had claimed Jubilation as his date, and was proudly giving her a huge ice heart he had formed himself. Rahne and Roberto were standing side-by-side, with Rahne blushing as Roberto pressed a little pink parcel into her hand. Kurt had already teleported himself to Amanda's house. Ray and Amara had linked arms and were just about to exit the door. Samuel was stammering something nervously to Tabitha as he presented her with a large bouquet of roses and a small packet. Kitty had stationed herself near the door, and was evidently waiting for Lance.

The doorbell rang again, and Rogue went to answer it. It was Remy LeBeau who stood there, a smirk on his rugged face as he kept an arm behind his back. Rogue rolled her eyes, shaking her head as Remy took a step forward and dipped a mischievous bow.

"Looking for something, swamp rat?" Rogue enquired, eyes raised.

"Yes, mademoiselle, and I believe you're the someone I'm after." Remy offered Rogue a cheeky grin and flashed out a huge bouquet of magnificent red roses. "Mademoiselle, would you care to spend the day with me?"

"_Half _the day," Rogue put in.

"Half the day it is," Remy agreed, as he slipped his arm through Rogue's elbow and led her away.

"I can't believe it," Kitty muttered to Rachel. "Rogue and that 'swamp rat' Remy used to be such enemies. I can hardly believe she's going out on a date with him!"

"Just as we can't believe you're going out with Lance," Samuel taunted.

Kitty glared at him and chose to ignore him before turning back to Rachel. "What are you going to do in the meantime?" she enquired.

"I'll sit around here and meditate."

"Good way to spend your time." Kitty glanced at the door, and her eyes brightened. "There's Lance! I've gotta go now, Rachel. See you later!"

"Bye."

One by one, the remaining mutants trotted off with their partners, eyes glowing with pleasure. Rachel watched them, and the faintest smile lifted her lips. Feelings of mild melancholy and dreaminess drifted around in her mind, but she refused to give them any leeway. Feeling sorry for herself would do nothing. Instead, she returned to her room, settled her hood over her head, and begin to meditate.

For an hour, she worked on the self-calming techniques the Professor had taught her. It felt most soothing, but today, there was a sense of restlessness in her that she could not explain. Rachel bit her lip and tried to focus on meditating, but something kept her mind diverted. Angered and irritated, Rachel descended onto the bed beneath her and gave an angry growl, pressing her palms to her head. What was wrong with her?

Danger. Strife. Rachel cursed and narrowed her eyes, trying to focus on the sense of doom she was beginning to feel. It grew stronger and stronger, beckoning to her. Eventually, Rachel had no more room to feel anything else. This was not something that could be ignored. As if in a trance, Rachel left her bed and shut her eyes, using dark energy to phase through the wall. Without stopping to inform Xavier, Rachel followed the pull of her mind, flying out of the mansion and into the city.

Before she even knew it, she was right there at the scene, with no back-up. Five or six maniacs were going on a rampage in the city, firing hundreds of shots in minutes. Terrified citizens were screaming louder than the gunshots, running all over the place. Rachel glared at the men, and anger rose in her before she could get a grip of herself. How dare they! Had they no regard for life? Drawing in a good, deep breath of air, Rachel clenched her hands into fists and strode forward, unafraid. It would take time for the police arrive; she had better step in before the whole city was drenched in blood.

"You there!" Rachel roared, as the gunshots ceased momentarily. "STOP!"

All six gunmen turned to look at her in unison. Their faces were hidden by masks, but Rachel had no need to see their expressions to know the anger and fury exploding within them. Keeping calm, Rachel advanced forward slowly, hand extended.

"Stop shooting, unless you want a taste of me."

They said nothing aloud, but Rachel clearly read the thoughts in their minds: _Who does this pathetic emo think she is? Superwoman? _In unison, all six gunmen raised their guns again, right at Rachel.

Rachel was about to fling up a shield around herself, but someone else moved even faster then her or the gunmen. The ground vibrated beneath their feet, and then suddenly, the ground beneath the gunmen rose up like a wave, knocking them down like bowling pins. Several wild gunshots were fired, heading skyward. Coming to a decision, Rachel swept her hand outwards, and used a quick blast of energy to lift the guns out of their hands, breaking them into two and depositing them by the men's side before pinning down the men to the ground with her telekinesis.

The ground moved again. As the stunned men tried to get up, the ground beneath to rise again in thick tendrils, curling around their legs and wrists like chains. Rachel raised her eyes, but felt no significant surprise. After all, mutants were fairly common these days, or so she head heard.

She looked back over her shoulder, and saw a lone figure standing near a wall, partially concealed by the shadows. Like her, he wore all-concealing garments of black, including a hood just like Rachel's. His head swiveled in his direction, and Rachel heard his thoughts clearly, _Looks like she didn't even need my help. _

_Who are you? _

_There's no need to know. I'm only doing what I must. _

_Are you a mutant? _

_No. _He shifted slightly, and Rachel sensed his discomfort as the scream of sirens indicated the police were getting closer and closer. _The police are here; I must go now. _He blocked off his mind and retreated, and Rachel saw some kind of black shroud engulfing him. His aura dispelled gradually, and soon, he was out of reach.

With the police and SWAT team on the scene, there was no more reason for Rachel to linger around. As countless armed officers jumped down from the patrol cars and ran to handcuff the gunmen, Rachel retreated, using a shadow manipulation technique to remain hidden. She heard voices exclaiming with astonishment, and she realized that the police officers were undoubtedly expressing shock over the way in which the gunmen had been pinned down to the ground. Rachel smiled a little at that. Probably none of them would really suspect that it had been the work of another super-powered being.

Still wondering who the mysterious young man was, and if she would ever see him again, Rachel returned to the mansion.


	12. Turning Point

Rachel did dream at night, but seldom had her dreams been so vivid, so explicitly frightening and dark. Rachel moaned and turned over in her bed, flinging a hand over her eyes. Perspiration was starting to dampen her forehead and hair.

_Blood. Death. Screams. The end of the world had come. Trigon sat upon a huge T-shaped tower as if it were a throne, laughing at the pitiful mortals beneath him. The world was bathed in blood-red light, and all the colours of the world changed to grey and white. Human flesh turned to stone, with people freezing in a variety of positions, eyes and mouth open and faces contorted with horror. The water beneath the T-shaped tower had lost its sparkling purity and clarity, and was now a river of dark lava. _

_No! No! This can't be happening! Trigon cannot be here on earth! _

_Oh yes it can, little daughter. Trigon leaned forward to peer down at his daughter, so frightened, so shocked that she couldn't even cry. It is already happening. I am Trigon, ruler of worlds, and I am your father! So bow down to me! _

_No! No! Rachel felt herself spiraling backwards, as if falling into a long, never-ending tunnel. _

_Be still, Rachel. I am here! _

_Karzor! Help me! I can't stop Trigon! _

_Be still! This is only a projection of your mind, a dream! Don't let fear take over you! _

_Save me! _

_I am here. Breathe in, Rachel. Push that fear to the back of your mind. _

_I can't! _

_Yes you can…yes, that's it. Breathe…good. _

Just as quickly as the dream had started, it ended. Rachel bolted upright on her bed, hyperventilating and sweating. Her breath sounded so loud that she thought it was more than enough to awaken Kitty. But Kitty snoozed on, unaware of what had just transpired.

Wiping her sweat away, Rachel peered at the clock next to her bed. Five o'clock in the morning. Far too early for so much drama, even if it had just been a dream. Rachel's hands were still shaking, and the images of her dream were still blazing in her mind. Why, of all things, did she have to dream about _him_?

There was no way she could simply go back to sleep. Such nightmares did not provide anyone with a sense of sleepiness or security. Instead, Rachel crossed her legs under her and levitated upwards until she was several feet above the mattress. Perhaps, just perhaps, if she meditated for a while, she could go back to sleep…

"Rachel! Rachel, wake up!"

"Huh?" Rachel yawned and blinked several times before her gaze focused on Kitty. "What time is it?"

"_Ten _o'clock. And you're still sleeping? Are you ill?"

"No, not at all. I just had a …sleepless night, nothing more." This was the truth, after all. "Is something going on?"

"It's time for training, remember? Logan's going to have a fit if you're not on the training grounds in twenty minutes. I can already imagine his face turning tomato-red."

"Alright, give me ten minutes. You go ahead first."

When Rachel reached the training grounds minutes later, deprived of breakfast, the whole mutant gang was already gathered there. The training seemed to consist of one-on-one combat today, with two mutants pairing off against each other. Inwardly, Rachel groaned. Her mental state was just _not _the right one for a fight.

"You're late, Rachel," Logan grumbled. "Had a good snooze, I hope?"

"Good enough," Rachel replied stiffly.

"You've been paired off against Jean Grey," Amara whispered to Rachel, as Bobby and Roberto concluded their match, Roberto emerging as the winner. "I think you two will put up a beautiful match."

"I hope so," Rachel muttered.

"Rahne, Tabitha, you two are up next!"

The duo took their places opposite each other, and waiting for Logan to give the signal. The moment he did, they both went into battle mode, sizing up each other with a critical eye. Tabitha silently formed an explosive ball in her hand, while Rahne morphed into a wolf, circling Tabitha warily.

"Oooh, this is gonna be a close one," Kitty said to Rachel, as Rahne leaped away to dodge the first 'bomb' that Tabitha hurled at her. "The wolf versus the boom-boom girl. This is one match Roberto won't want to miss!"

Rachel smiled slightly, but her heart was not in the combat. Her feelings were still far too tumultuous to be happy or enthusiastic about anything. Looking at Jean, she felt her heart sinking further. Jean was such a good friend, always steady-minded and kind. How she could face herself or anyone else if she harmed Jean?

The next three matches progressed, with Rachel barely noticing what was going on. Instead, she stood apart from the others, under a tree, and deep breathed in an effort to calm her mind.

"Jean, Rachel, you're up next."

Rachel hesitated as Jean took her place on the lawn. Her mind was not yet free of doubts. Did she dare face Jean when there was such a strong possibility of her losing control? Anything could happen under the circumstances. She could kill Jean or hurt her severely, or that could happen to one of the others.

"Rachel, come on!" Kitty urged.

Finally, Rachel came to a decision. It couldn't be that bad, surely. After all, this was only a friendly match. Surely Jean wouldn't attempt to unleash her full power on Rachel. All Rachel had to do was to defend herself with some low-level powers. Nothing more.

Right?

Rachel wiped her doubts out as best as she could and moved to stand opposite Jean. Jean smiled at her encouragingly, and Rachel begin to feel worse.

"Begin!" Logan ordered.

_Here it goes_! Rachel thought, sizing up the surroundings as she had been taught. Objects had been placed there, evidently for Jean to use during her battle.

Jean made the first move, using her telekinesis to levitate a small stool, hurling it straight at Rachel. Rachel easily stopped it with her own telekinetic energy, sending back the stool to Jean. Jean did not attempt to stop it telekinetically; instead, she dodged and levitated the next object, at the same time lifting up another object behind Rachel.

Sensing the movement behind her, Rachel flung up a shield around her whole body, before lifting up several objects at the same time, moving them straight towards Jean. Jean easily stopped them in mid-air.

_That's right, little girl. That's how useless you really are! _

Rachel blinked violently, wondering if she had been hallucinating. The eeriest sense of premonition crept into her head, and for a moment, what Rachel saw was not Jean Grey, but a monster of a demon, the incarnation of evil. He turned his four red eyes towards Rachel, and Rachel's jaw dropped, hanging loose.

_Trigon? What…_

_That's right, daughter. Your father will always be here inside you. And I know you want to let me out, child. So do it! Feel your dark side rising! Feel all your anger and LET IT OUT! _

"Nooo!" Rachel roared. "No! You will not touch me! Leave me alone!" As the startled Jean stopped an object in mid-air before it could reach Rachel, Rachel literally went berserk. Jean felt Rachel's tremendous emotions exploding like a volcano, and then, the next moment, she found herself flying backwards with such force that she thought she might knock down the tree she smashed into. Just in time, she managed to ease to one side, her head avoiding the tree trunk by inches.

"Rachel!" Logan's voice was sharp and stern. "Don't overdo it! This is just a friendly match!"

"I don't think so anymore," Rogue said nervously. "Remember the last time she fought? You don't think…"

"Oh no, no, no!" Logan's voice rose with alarm as Rachel begin to hyperventilate, shouting out something about being left alone. "This is not good! Get the Professor!"

Kurt immediately teleported away to Xavier's room.

"Rachel!" Jean staggered to her feet and extended an arm towards her. "Rachel, stop! Don't overdo it! I'm not fighting you back now, see? You've got to stop!"

"No, I won't stop! Go away! Get away from me now!" Rachel howled. "Get out, or I'll unleash all my power on you!"

_That's right, daughter! You're doing well! Come, unleash me now! You know you want to! Free me from within! _

"Never! Get out of me!" Wild with rage and frustration, Rachel took it all out on the one who had never been a father to her. She felt wave after wave of energy pulsating from her belly, and before she could stop herself, she felt her pent-up energy bursting forth with full force. She thought she heard voices screaming and shouting for her to stop, but it was too late. She heard Jean screaming with panic and terror, followed by Scott's wild shriek. Then she sensed Rogue creeping towards her, no doubt to steal all her powers…

"Get away! Get away from me now!" Rachel screamed, at both Trigon and Rogue at the same time. Another surge of energy left her, and she heard Rogue scream aloud. The cacophony of voices rose louder and louder around her, threatening to deafen her. She wanted to stop, she wanted it so badly, but she was no longer herself. It was as if she existed in another world altogether, or in some sort of vacuum where only she and Trigon existed.

"RACHEL! YOU'VE GOT TO STOP!"

"Can't…stop…too much…"

_Rachel! _This time, it was Xavier's voice calling out to her. She had never heard Xavier sounding so panicky before. _Rachel, you've to stop! You've already knocked out Jean and Rogue! Rachel! _

_No, daughter. Don't stop! _Trigon's laughter resonated like a church bell, preventing Xavier from being heard. _You're doing very well. Just a little further now…_

_Rachel, who's that in your mind? _Xavier demanded. _What's this…monster doing inside your head? _

_Get out of my mind! _Another wave of panic hit Rachel. She couldn't let the Professor know about Trigon, she couldn't! _Professor, get out of my mind NOW! _With a furious burst of will, Rachel sent Xavier's mind flying out from her head, and erected a barrier around her mind.

_Good, daughter, good. _

_Don't call me that, you beast! Karzor! Karzor, I need you! Help me! Don't let Trigon win! _

She felt Karzor's presence moments later, very tentative, as if he too feared Trigon. _There's not much I can actively do, child. Trigon's power is greater than mine. You've got to win this battle yourself! _

_Help me!_

_You can do it, Rachel! Remember, you are a daughter of the light, not darkness! Trigon can only win if you let him! This is your mind, not his. He can only stay there as long as you allow it. Now, end this right here! It's your domain. _

Rachel clenched her fists until she scored crescent moon marks on the flesh of her palms and tilted back her head, letting out a wild scream mentally. Trigon wavered as he sensed the ferocity of her will. Rachel let out a psychic blast with all the energy left in her, and Trigon roared aloud. Rachel felt his power waning, and she immediately took the opportunity to blast him again and again and again.

_GET OUT OF MY MIND! _Drawing on all the remaining energy left in her, Rachel channeled all that power straight at her father and willed him to be pushed back.

_You'll be sorry you ever did this! _Trigon bellowed.

_Never! _Relief begin to replace her anxiety as the last of Trigon's presence dimmed down until it was barely detectable. Exhausted and heart-sick, Rachel swayed like a drunkard and half-collapsed against a tree. Her fingertips felt the trunk's hard, wooden strength, and Rachel clutched onto it like a lifeline, breathing loud enough to wake the dead. Her ears were ringing, and her eyes saw red.

Gradually, she became aware of the murmuring and crying around her. But she didn't even have the will to lift her head. She felt Kitty's aura near her, and she thought she felt Kitty's hand on her shoulder as she murmured, "Rachel?"

"Don't touch her!" This came from Logan, his tone unmistakably a command. "Step away from her right now. All of you, clear off. NOW!"

Shock, it seemed, had rendered everyone incapable of moving. Kitty backed off slowly, while the others remained where they were. Slowly, Rachel lifted and turned her head wearily, staring at the scene around her with half-blurred eyes. Not a single mutant looked unafraid. All of them had open jaws and bulging eyes, and their emotions almost overwhelmed Rachel.

They were staring at her with horror and fear. Rachel's heart plummeted downwards until she thought it had just hit the ground. Her own friends, which whom she had been through so much with, were surely thinking her a fiend and nothing less. Was this the turning point in their relationship? Had she already burned her bridges with this one wicked act?

_You've already knocked out Jean and Rogue!_

_No. No. Oh no. _Xavier's words came winging back, tearing her heart apart. She had injured her own friends, her comrades, and in front of everyone else! Nauseous and sick to the stomach, Rachel uncurled her fingers from the tree trunk slowly and forced herself to walk over to where Jean and Rogue were lying, Scott cradling Jean's limp head gently in his lap. Evan was next to Rogue, who as more conscious than Jean, but groaning and dazed. As Rachel approached them, Scott's head jerked up. His reaction was explosive.

"Get away from them!" Scott roared, one hand flying to his glasses. "Look at what you've done to Jean! How could you? You know this was only meant to be a friendly match! You've almost killed her!"

"I – I didn't mean…"

"Oh, you didn't mean to?" Scott sneered. "Liar! Move away now! I don' want you within five meters of Jean!"

"Enough." Xavier's tone was brisk and cold as he rolled his wheelchair forward with ruthless efficiency. "There's been enough strife for today. Logan, Evan, Scott, take Rogue and Jean to the medical room and call Ororo and Hank. I'll take care of things here."

"Very well, Professor." Scott lifted Jean up and hoisted her into his arms, glaring at Rachel with burning eyes before taking Jean away.

"Come on, Evan. Help me get her up," Logan grunted, as he and Evan slowly lifted Rogue. "The rest of you, move away now. You're not going to help by gawking at Rachel."

Glancing anxiously at Rachel, the mutants finally regained their wits and senses and moved away. Only Rachel remained where she was, frozen stiff to the spot.

"Rachel, it's time we talk about this frankly."

"No." Rachel shook her head weakly. All she wanted was to disappear and curl up alone in a corner until her existence was wiped out altogether. "I can't…I won't…"

"This is not the time for hiding more secrets," Xavier replied, with forced patience. "I felt _his _presence as I went into your mind. A demon's presence. You want to tell me what's all that about?"

"No. I only want to be left alone. This is not something I wish to talk about."

"There's no point trying to run. You can run for now, but you will eventually come to a dead end, unless you face up to it. You know I'm capable of keeping some matters a secret, if that's what you wish. Tell me about that creature."

"I said no, and I mean it!" Rachel hadn't meant to shout, but the stress and horror of the past few minutes was already taking their toll on her. "Can't you understand plain English? I said no, and I mean no! Just leave me be!" With that, Rachel turned and fled, running for her life so that the Professor wouldn't see the tears flooding her eyes.


	13. Discussing Rachel

Scott tapped lightly on the door leading to the medical room and entered, his face worn out with worry and pain. Hank and Xavier looked up at him bleakly, their faces wearing identical expressions. Side-by-side, Rogue and Jean lay on two separate gurneys, motionless. Scott looked down at Jean's pained face, and a pang stabbed him in the heart. He hardly liked to imagine what she must have been thinking when Rachel had knocked her out so savagely.

"Professor, they'll be fine, right?" Scott whispered.

Xavier nodded gravely. "Jean's had a bad head injury, but she'll be fine. Rogue's injuries are less severe. Bobby, Jamie and Tabitha got hit too, but they've only sustained a few bruises and scratches."

"Can I talk to you about Rachel?"

Hank looked at Xavier enquiringly and cleared his throat.

"Of course, Scott. But not here. Come to my room. Hank, I'll send Ororo here in a moment. Keep an eye on Jean and Rogue."

Once in his room, Xavier shut the door behind him firmly and gestured to Scott to sit down. Without waiting for Xavier to speak, Scott blurted out, "What on earth is up with Rachel? I thought you said she was doing well in her training! What possessed her back there to be so violent towards Jean?"

"A monster in her mind."

It was evident Scott had not been prepared to hear this. "A monster?" he echoed blankly. "How long has it been in Rachel's mind? Why did it suddenly take over her?"

"It's always been there, even before Rachel joined us," Xavier replied. "That monster is the dark presence I detected in her when she first arrived. It's nothing new."

"What?" Scott exploded. "Are – are you saying that the girl living with us all these months has a _monster _inside her head? How can this be? How could you allow her to even live here with us? She could have killed someone!"

"Scott, calm down." Xavier held out a hand to halt Scott's flow of words. "I did _not _act on a whim when I allowed Rachel to join us. I cannot doubt that she has something evil living in her mind, but nor can I doubt that Rachel's heart is nothing like that monster. Whatever you saw earlier was not entirely of her doing."

"Not her doing?" Scott spluttered. "How can you say that? You saw what she did to Jean and Rogue! And you call that 'not her doing'? Are you saying that was the monster within her, taking control?"

"Yes and no," Xavier said. "That monster was desperate to exit her, and in doing so, it was goading her into anger. Rachel was frightened when she sensed its powers emerging, and that was the weak link in the chain. That monster fed on her fear and used it to make Rachel unleash her powers. Rachel was trying to fight that monster, not Jean and Rogue."

"And I'm supposed to believe that?" Scott enquired, arms folded across his chest. "Professor, please. Surely you must see Rachel for what she is: a threat to us all! She mustn't be allowed to stay here with us any longer. This isn't the first time she's gone berserk during a fight. How many more times are you going to risk our lives by letting her live here?"

"Scott…"

"Sorry for my rudeness, Professor," Scott went on, "but I've had enough. I don't want Rachel here anymore. It's better for one person to simply leave than for all of us to live with danger."

"And what if you're the only one thinking this?" Xavier asked gravely. "Haven't you noticed that the newer recruits have no problems with Rachel? To them, she's almost an idol, someone they can always count on to help!"

"That's because they hardly ever fight by her side," Scott retorted. "They've never really had a chance to see Rachel in action, or the true nature of her strength. But now they have, and I doubt they'd want a monster living amongst them!"

"Scott! Don't you call Rachel that!" Xavier snapped angrily. "Haven't you been listening to a word I've said? Rachel doesn't go into that state willingly because she _wants _to! Can't you see that?"

"That doesn't matter now, does it?" Scott retorted, all his manners deserting him. "The only thing that really does matter is that Rachel is a danger to everyone around her! All it takes is an intense battle to half-kill us! Professor, I just want that girl sent away."

"To where? Would you care to elaborate?" Xavier returned coldly.

"Didn't you notice that when Rachel came here, she already knew exactly what abilities she had, and how to use them to execute combat moves? That means someone else has already trained her in the past to use those abilities! Why not just tell her to go back to those people?"

"Use your common sense for goodness sake, Scott! When we invited Rachel to join us here, she said nothing about anyone else in her life. If she already had those people to return to, whoever they were, I hardly think she would have come here so willingly without mentioning them. We can't just make assumptions here. And I want Rachel to remain here."

"Professor," Scott protested.

"Enough, Scott. I can understand your fears. You leave Rachel to me to deal with. I don't want you to confront her and goad her into another temper. As for the others, if you think they'd want Rachel to leave too, why don't you question them yourself first? You may find that they're not quite so willing to kick Rachel out." Xavier beckoned to the door, bringing an end to their heated conversation. "I'm going back to the medical room to check on Rogue and Jean. And I think you should come along and stay by Jean's side too. No more talking about kicking out Rachel today."

"OK, Professor." Scott said nothing more, but inside, his mind about Rachel was already made up.


	14. Outcast

Rachel had predicted correctly when she suspected that her horrible burst of power that day formed the turning point. Though she would not admit it directly to anyone, even a part of herself, she could not deny that her relationship with the other X-Men was no longer what it used to be, nor could it ever be that way again. She had went into the room to visit Rogue and Jean once they had regained consciousness, but though they showed no open signs of hostility, Rachel easily sensed their discomfort and fear of her. The newer recruits, who, prior to that incident, had adored and looked up to Rachel so much, kept their distance from her after that and no longer tried to draw her in.

Rachel seriously regretted not making Xavier swear that he would never tell anyone about the monster inside her. After Scott had found out, he had been gracious enough to tell the truth to the other mutants, when pressed to give them answers. What had really happened to Rachel? Why had released so much power during just a friendly match held as a training session? Was she too dangerous to be allowed to stay on at the Institute?

Rachel groaned and pulled the blanket further over her head. Though it was mid-afternoon, she had chosen to lie in bed, citing extreme fatigue as the reason. Not that anyone would want her to join them, after all. Her friendship with the mutants had not soured, but it had lost its warmth. No-one was openly cold or hostile, but it was evident that she was no longer welcome in their midst. Whenever they spoke, they were always polite to her – too polite. If Rachel asked to join them for games or training, they would normally let her join them, but there was never any enthusiasm in it. It was as if everyone thought she was a monster herself, not a monster-containing girl.

Eventually, as the months passed, Rachel drifted away from them more and more. She knew where and when she was not welcome, and it was _now_. The recruits clearly needed time to recover from their shock of seeing her like that, Rachel told herself. Perhaps if she could show them for long enough that she was not a threat to them, things would change again. Being an outcast was not pleasant at all.

She no longer joined the mutants for their regular training session. Instead, she would meet up daily with the Professor. Training with him had become ten times more vigorous, and he allowed much less leeway for mistakes now. If Rachel showed even the tiniest sign of fear, Xavier would make her meditate again until that bit of emotion was completely wiped out. Some of the warmth in their relationship had vanished as well, and he seemed far sterner with her than he had been in the past. It hurt Rachel more than she cared to admit, but she made it a point to ignore everything. What good was self-pity, she kept telling herself?

The door opened, and Kitty strolled in, her long hair hanging loosely over her shoulders. Rachel pushed back the blanket slightly and watched her roommate as she rummaged around her dressing-table. Even Kitty had grown wary of her, as if she feared her roommate might suddenly turn against her. On the spur of the moment, Rachel sat up and addressed Kitty.

"You and the girls are going to hang out in the city now, right? Mind if I join you?"

"I thought you said you were badly fatigued. But well, if you're feeling better now…I suppose you could come along."

The words 'I suppose' themselves were already a telltale sign. Kitty was eyeing Rachel warily now, her expression that of a cat sizing up its surroundings. Rachel's hopes deflated, and she laid back on the pillow.

"Maybe you're right," Rachel said quietly. "I guess I should be sleeping, isn't it?"

"That's your choice," Kitty shrugged. "Uh, well, I've got to go now. See you later."

"Bye," Rachel replied dully, watching as Kitty exited quickly. It was plain as day that Kitty was somewhat relieved Rachel had decided not to join them after all. Too restless to remain in bed any longer, Rachel pushed back the blankets and came to a decision as she poured some water into her cup, gulping it down in one bite. Alone or not, she would take a walk in the city by herself. The mansion was starting to feel more like a prison than a shelter. Perhaps a walk alone in the city would calm her nerves before she got out of control again.

_I'm being such a fool, _Rachel thought, as she slipped out of the room, deciding not to inform Xavier where she was going. _I should never have brushed aside Karzor's warning! He was right about me all along. The Professor's training isn't doing what it's supposed to! Why did I just brush Karzor aside? _

"Going somewhere, Rachel?" Scott stood near the doorway, eyeing her closely. Out of all the mutants, Scott was the one who had showed her the most hostility ever since Rachel had hurt his beloved Jean Grey. Though he had yet to confront her openly, it was obvious to anyone with even one eye that Scott no longer trusted or liked her much. He no longer saw her as someone who had once been his friend and comrade, but someone who had almost killed his sweetheart.

"I'm going out alone," Rachel replied sharply, sounding colder than she had intended. "Is there a rule that prohibits that?"

"No. Just be careful. We don't want a repeat of you-know-what."

"Oh, don't worry, Mr. Summers," Rachel returned, smiling humourlessly. "There won't be any reason for me to lose control again today. I doubt I'd want to use my powers again anyway."

Scott frowned at her, but let her pass without a word.

Rachel drew her hood over her head and strode off, heading out to the city by foot. She had already known for some time now that Scott wanted her to leave the Institute, out of fear for the monster within her. Though he had not said so outright, the way in which he had watched her said it all. To him, she was a danger as long as she was there. Rachel tolerated him, knowing that his fear of her was somewhat justified, but it was not enough to overcome the bitterness in her mind. What did he know about her, after all, aside from the fact that he knew she had little control over her powers?

_I honestly think it's about time I start considering where to go after this_, Rachel thought, as she strolled down the city pavements, ignoring the stares she received from the passer-bys. She had long grown used to be stared at for her odd clothes. _No point in staying in the mansion when I'm not welcome there. I'd grow to hate them, and in time, I might even become their enemy. I might as well leave and save part of our friendship before everything goes wrong. What am I but a monster to them now, anyway? _

Deep in thought, Rachel turned left at the next junction and stopped in her tracks. Kitty, Amara, Tabitha and Jubilation were now hanging out near the shop where they had once tried to buy some clothes for Rachel. They were all sipping drinks from a cup and having the time of their life, laughing and joking. Rachel watched them for a while, and a pang ran through her heart. She had once thought it unnecessary to be so friendly with them, but now, looking at the fun they could share together, Rachel realized she would give up anything to be part of that once more.

Some hoots and whistles drew her attention to a shop several meters away, where Roberto and Rahne were hanging about. Roberto had an arm slung around Rahne's shoulder; she was blushing and obviously enjoying the attention the Brazilian was paying to her. Kitty called out something to them, and the other girls burst into laughter. Rachel watched them for several more seconds, then, unable to sustain it any longer, she turned around and swiftly made her departure.

The next part of the city Rachel stopped in was familiar to her as well, in a different kind of way. This was where she had fought the six gunmen, with the unexpected aid of that mysterious stranger. As she stood there alone, brooding, she sensed someone watching her from behind. Rachel immediately turned; that aura was oddly familiar.

_You again? _Rachel narrowed her eyes as she caught a glimpse of the black-clad figure who had helped her that Valentine's Day. _Who are you? What are you doing here? _

There was no immediate response from him. He kept his head very still, and Rachel thought she could see piercing eyes watching her from beneath his deep hood. One black eye, one blue eye. Rachel blinked, and the figure subtly shifted his head so even the gleam of his eyes was concealed from Rachel's view. A black shroud began to rise, drawing him away from Rachel's eyes, and Rachel clearly heard his telepathic voice in her mind.

_Azarath and Karzor await you, Rachel Roth. _


	15. Disaster

Rachel returned to her room and silently pondered the words of the mysterious figure she had bumped into. _Azarath and Karzor await you _was what he had said. Rachel's frown creased her forehead as she tried to imagine who he might be. He was certainly someone from Azarath, that much anyone could deduce. Had Karzor sent him there just to tell her that?

Rachel resumed meditating for the umpteenth time; it was all she could do to keep her mind steady. It did bring some calmness back, but that sense of serenity would never drive out her hurt and pain. That was something meditation did not have the power to do, Rachel thought dryly.

Three hours later, Kitty knocked and quietly entered, dropping her handbag on the floor. Rachel ignored her and went on meditating steadily. She sensed Kitty's unease and uncertainty, and her spine stiffened. Did everyone _have _to think her so freaky?

"Rachel? We're going to have a training session now. The Professor has requested you to join us again this time."

"He's not afraid that I'll blow up something or half-kill someone?" Rachel enquired, not altogether in jest.

"He's the one who asked you to join us. That's all I know."

"Very well. Let's hope he knows what he's doing, then."

Kitty sighed, but made no effort to say anything. Friendly as she was, she was not so stupid as to remain oblivious to the fact that the gulf between her and her mysterious roommate was widening with each passing day. Rachel had half given up on trying to reform the bond between her and the other mutants, and Kitty knew that she herself was being over-cautious around Rachel. Not everything could be blamed on Rachel. From the moment Kitty had first met her, she had known Rachel was not like everyone else.

"Shall I wait for you here until you've finished meditating, or shall I go downstairs first?"

"That's up to you."

"I'll head downstairs first, then."

With that, Kitty was effectively severing another thread of their friendship. When Kitty was gone, Rachel grimaced, lowered herself to the floor, and adjusted her hood, pulling it even further over her head. Maybe it was a stupid thought, but to Rachel, it felt rather like a shield, hiding her face from the world that had never been kind to her. Taking her own sweet time, Rachel flew downstairs slowly.

The mutants had been chatting to each other noisily as usual, but as Rachel appeared, most of them fell silent as they eyed her with overt surprise. Impulsive as ever, Roberto spoke up, voicing everyone's thoughts. "You're joining us for training today, Rachel?"

"Kitty said the Professor asked me to do so."

"Indeed, he did," Logan put in gruffly, "but on the condition that you put this on your head. Here." He handed Rachel some sort of small red and grey helmet, with two electrodes connected to it. "He said this will suppress your powers if they should get out of control again."

"I don't suppose that will be a problem," Rachel muttered in reply, as she accepted it from Logan pulled off her hood and adjusted the helmet on her head. "What is today's training? Not one-on-one combat, I hope."

"Fortunately not," Scott spoke up. "All you have to do is to rescue this dummy here." He pointed to the wooden dummy positioned behind a wooden frame. Obstacles surrounded the dummy, more than one could count. There were gigantic wooden gongs that clashed together, car-sized fists that threatened to turn anyone to pulp who crossed them, and several other dangerous objects. "That is, if you can pass all those obstacles. You'll all pass them one by one. Evan will demonstrate it to you first. Evan?"

"Roger that." Evan winked and gave Scott a 'thumbs-up' sign and positioned himself at the start point.

"OK, Evan. One, two, three…go!"

Everyone watched with baited breath, as Evan proudly demonstrated his skills at this, as if he had performed it a thousand times over. He dodged the punching fists by rolling over them, slid himself under the clapping gongs, and cunningly projected his spikes at a huge pendulum swinging towards him. Within fifteen minutes, he was at the end, out of breath but mightily proud of himself.

"Now, that's what you have to do, all of you. Got it?"

"Boy, am I ready for it," Bobby grinned.

Even before the mutants were called up one by one, Rachel somehow knew that she would be the last one to go up. This time, she did not try to zone out and concentrate on calming her mind; instead, she watched every single mutant closely. The time of the obstacles varied from person to person, but the overall movements needed to cross them were similar enough. By the time Jamie had completed his turn, and only Rachel was left, she was confident enough. This time, Xavier himself saw nearby on his wheelchair, watching Rachel thoughtfully. Kitty and Kurt had been exempted from this, as their powers would make it possible for them to pass the obstacles without any effort any all.

"Rachel, you're up now."

Rachel refused to think of the trouble she could stir up as she moved to the starting point, watching the obstacles closely. The gong clapped and parted, leaving a brief opening. Rachel watched them through narrowed eyes, and another thought presented itself there and then. Scott had told them to pass those obstacles, but he hadn't said _how _that was to be done. And that left room for another option. Rachel's option.

"Go!"

Rachel gathered a shroud of dark energy around herself, as little as possible, and did what Kitty would have done if she herself had got involved: she used that dark energy to pass through all the obstacles in one swift motion. All was silent for a short while, then the mutants began to giggle. Evidently, none of them had thought that Rachel would resort to such a technique. Scott was looking on open-mouthed, too surprised to speak.

With a grim smile, Rachel phased through the final gongs and dispelled the energy. She had done it, and had done it _without _any trouble. Scott would have nothing to complain about, surely, she thought, as she removed the uncomfortable helmet from her head.

"Rachel!" Rachel's expectations were immediately dashed to pieces. "_What _on earth was that all about? You totally defeated the purpose of that exercise! I said to _pass _those obstacles, not pass _through _them! What were you thinking?"

"I agree, Scott." Rachel spread her hands mockingly. "You're right. You _did _say to pass those obstacles. But you didn't say _how_."

Scott's face reddened as the other mutants around them giggled with approval and amusement.

"Rachel! Are you trying to play the fool with me?" Scott demanded.

"Not at all. I only attempted to do it the simplest way, you gave no specific details. Besides, shouldn't you be glad that I didn't unleash my oh-so-terrible power on you all!"

Scott gritted his teeth angrily, his anger rising. Rachel fisted her hands on her hips and faced him squarely, her eyes challenging him to disagree. "Angry now?" she enquired. "Isn't that the truth I spoke, though?"

"You…"

"Scott, Rachel, that's enough." Xavier's cold, stern tone immediately jerked their argument to a stop. "There's no need to act like five-year-old kids here."

Rachel fell silent out of respect for Xavier, but Scott was already too angry to stop. "Professor, you saw what she did! She knew what she was meant to do, yet she dares play the fool!"

"Enough, Scott!"

Scott sighed, and chose to direct all his anger at Rachel. "At least put that helmet back on," he said.

Rachel hissed through her teeth, narrowing her eyes to slits. For too long now, her slowly-growing animosity for Scott had been suppressed within; now it was starting to boil over. The limit had been reached, and Rachel was not sure she had the strength to keep it at bay. "You can stop telling me what to do or treating me like the enemy here," she replied coldly. "Regardless of what you've seen me do, I am _not _a monster. Just because there's one inside me, it doesn't make me one."

"Your actions have proved otherwise."

Xavier sucked in his breath sharply, as did all the others. In saying that, Scott was effectively calling Rachel a monster! Scott had well and truly crossed the line this time, and there was nothing that would stop Rachel from lashing out if she did.

"Am I to understand that you're calling me a monster, Scott Summers?" Rachel asked, in a soft, terrible voice.

Sensing that he had gone too far, Scott hastily tried to soften his words. "No, no, I was just saying…"

"But you did, Scott. You did." Rachel's cloak billowed out behind her on an unfelt breeze, and the Professor sensed her ire rising. "And you have the cheek to lie about it?" She took a step forward, eyes blazing, and Jean hastily stepped forward, positioning herself between Rachel and Scott.

"Enough, Scott," Jean said patiently. "You've gone too far this time. Rachel, please pardon him. He really didn't mean to insult you."

"But he already has." Rachel's shoulders rose, and black energy arose around her. The mutants began to gasp and murmur with shock, automatically retreating. "And this is not the first time he's hurt me. Perhaps he didn't know that I'm capable of feelings too? Or did he assume that a 'monster' such as me is emotionless?" A blast of energy exploded violently, and Xavier groaned as Rachel seemed to grow taller and larger. "Is that it? Am I nothing but a monster here to be feared and abandoned?" The pain and bitterness that she had kept in check for the past three months all doubled over. Her breath came in short, sharp gasps, and Xavier realized Rachel was already reaching the threshold of fury.

"Rachel, don't." Jean stepped forward, arms extended. "No-one is against you here. We're still your friends. We can still talk about…"

"Liar!" Rachel screamed. "You're lying! Friends don't abandon their comrades or ignore them for being different! For the past three months, I've been trying to prove I'm not the wicked monster you think I am, and what did I get? Your cold shoulder and indifference! And you say no-one is against me?" A sob tore from her the depths of her chest, and another wild gust of energy burst forth.

"Everyone, OUT! Now!" Logan bellowed, as Rachel sank to her knees and clasped her head in her hands, power rising more and more strongly with each passing second. "Professor! Do something!"

Xavier opened his eyes, shut before, and cast Logan a look of utter desperation. "Nothing's working!" he gasped, losing his cool in one of those extremely rare moments. "The barrier around her mind is too strong to penetrate!"

Scott grabbed Jean and pulled her away hurriedly as an energy burst from Rachel threatened to knock Jean over for the second time. Rachel's eyes were red and wild, her face contorted with rage and pain. It was the most terrifying sight to Scott, and he privately hoped he would never see such a sight again.

_Karzon! It's happening again! I can't control my emotions or powers! Help me, please! You said I could call upon you whenever I needed! I don't care what you do; just take me away from here! I can't bear it anymore! _

_Child, I am here. And I am only in your mind. I cannot transport you away physically. Not now, not like this. Take my hand, Rachel. Let me help you. Don't dwell on your misery. I am awaiting you already! Take my hand and let go of those emotions. Come to me after this, and I will never let you feel alone. Rachel, I am here! _

_Karzor! Help me! _Those were the last words Rachel said, and then, as the monk reached forth and grabbed her hand in her mind, Rachel felt a strange daze overpowering her mind. With a sigh, Rachel closed the eyes of her mind and let herself drift away to wherever Karzor wanted to take her.

**To BlackWerewolfOfPurpleRoses and Howlingatmoon, I want to thank you guys again for being such loyal reviewers! So far, you two have been the only two readers reviewing this on a consistent basis. To my other readers, please do review; I would love to get a lot more reviews! **


	16. Gone

Was this what Azarath felt like? Rachel came back to consciousness very slowly, and felt a soft mattress and pillow beneath her. Surely she still could not be in the Institute? No-one would provide her with this kind of treatment, not after she had lost it again.

She was alone. Though still in a daze, her mind was alert enough, and she sensed no-one. This in itself was a relief. Rachel tried some deep breathing for several more moments, before opening her eyes. Immediately, she knew she was still in the mansion. The ceiling, the equipment around her, and the electrodes were all part of the medical room. Somewhat disappointed that Karzor had not yet spirited her away to Azarath, Rachel sat up carefully and looked around. She saw no-one, and neither did she detect anyone's presence. Good. After what had happened, she held no more doubts that she would be thrown out that day. Best if she left before Xavier came over and told her that he was sorry, but he had no choice but to expel her from there before she killed someone.

_So much for hoping that I could fit in here and be of use to someone_, Rachel thought grimly. _Well, things do change, after all. Time to move on again. _

Not trusting herself to use even a simple teleportation technique, Rachel made use of her feet to carry her away, pulling the electrodes away from her head none too gently. Faster than she had expected, she was upstairs, by the rooms along the corridors. To get to her room, she would have to pass the Professor's. She didn't want to have to pass it, but what choice did she have? As she tiptoed past, glad that no-one had seen her yet, she heard voices coming from within the room, loud and argumentative.

"I'm telling you, Professor, that girl is a monster, regardless of what she says!" This was Scott's voice, angry and passionate. "You just saw what happened with your own eyes! You can't deny that she could have hurt someone else – again! How could you even _think _about keeping her here after that? Is she more precious than all of us put together?"

"Scott, just listen to me."

"Professor, please. Listen to me now. Rachel Roth can't stay here anymore. Losing control once is acceptable, but losing it three or four times is _not _OK, not at that level. She must go. If you won't make her leave, then I'll gather the other mutants and request her to leave ourselves."

"Scott, are you trying to lead some kind of rebellion here?"

"No!" Scott protested indignantly. "Not in the way you think! If it is rebellion, then think of us doing it for the greater good."

"The greater good?" Xavier echoed.

"Yes, the greater good!" Scott was almost shouting. "Professor, surely you didn't think we would order Rachel to leave, or use force to do so? It's not like that. All we have to do is to explain the situation to her, and make it clear that she can't stay here. We wouldn't kick her out by force!"

"And all the other mutants are with you in this?" Xavier enquired coldly.

"Not all. But enough are. At least seven or eight of the newer recruits aren't too pleased with what transpired, and the older mutants too, think she should go."

"Scott, you're not being fair to her."

"And you are not being fair to us!" Scott was being shockingly rude. "What will it take to make you realize that Rachel is _not like us_? She's no mutant, you've said so yourself! She's a destructive being who could wreck up this whole city if she wants to! And you want her around us!"

"Just give her another chance. She doesn't intentionally go into that state just to hurt or terrorize us. If this goes on, I'll find another alternative that doesn't involve kicking her out."

"We don't intend to kick her out, as you keep saying!" Scott retorted. "We'll simply _ask _her to leave, of her own free will!"

"And if she doesn't want to leave? What then? Have you thought about that?" Xavier snapped.

"If she's as great as you seem to think her, I'm sure she'll understand."

"But what if she doesn't? Haven't you been taught here never to assume?"

Rachel couldn't bear to hear anything more. Neither of them understood her; no-one in the Institute did. The wind of change was blowing strongly, and it was time she let herself get blown along with it, rather than resist it. Rachel remained stationary outside the room for one more moment, then she ran down the corridor as fast as her legs would carry her, not caring that she had just woken up from unconsciousness minutes ago. She would not stay around to be a source of friction between Scott and Xavier. Besides, she already had another destination in mind, where she was actually wanted: Azarath.

How fortunate it was, she thought, that she had almost nothing to pack up. Just several change of the black and dark blue outfits she had always worn for longer than she could remember. She stuffed them into her deep blue backpack, and then she was ready to walk away.

On the small table next to her bed lay a present that she had been given when she had first become a full-fledged member: a framed photograph of herself with the entire X-Men team. Back then, she had finally felt as if she had _belonged. _And now, she was an outcast again, unwelcome and unwanted by the team she had once called friends. She would miss Xavier and Kitty and the rest, but she let no regrets overcome her decision. She deliberated for a moment, wondering whether to take the photo with her. Then, with a sigh, she glanced at it a final time and laid it face-down on the table with a gentle hand. This was part of her old life; she could not afford to bring it with her into her new life.

_Goodbye. I just hope you'll be able to forgive me someday for everything. But I can't stay around here and be looked upon as a monster. _Rachel took a last look round the room and opened the window, preparing to exit from there.

"Rachel? Rachel, are you in there?" It was Kitty calling her from outside, sounding slightly worried. "Why did you leave the medical room so soon? Everyone was wondering where you were. Can I talk with you for a moment? Are you in there? Rachel?"

_Sorry, Kitty. I know you've been a good friend, but it's time for me to move on. Goodbye. _Rachel deliberately sent her thoughts to Kitty, letting her hear them, then she flew out the window swiftly, drawing a shroud of shadows around herself to make herself unseen.

"Rachel, no!" she heard Kitty cry out. "Rachel! Wait!"

_Sorry, Kitty. _This time, Rachel kept those words to herself. Heavy-hearted, but ready for change, Rachel took off into the distance and was soon lost to sight.

* * *

"Professor! Professor, I think Rachel's gone!"

Xavier looked up at Kitty and frowned as she phased right through the wall into his room, her eyes wild with shock. "Wait!" he said sharply. "Did you say Rachel's _gone_?"

"I think so!" Kitty blurted out. "When I was about to enter her room, I heard her telepathically saying to me, _Goodbye. I just hope you'll be able to forgive me someday for everything. But I can't stay around here and be looked upon as a monster. _When I barged in through the wall, she was already gone! Her backpack is missing, and the photo on her table is lying face-down!"

"Oh no!" Xavier groaned. "This wasn't supposed to happen. Not in this manner. Scott, Kitty, alert Jean and the others. We have to track Rachel down before she's out of reach! Where was the last place you saw her in, Kitty?"

"I thought she was supposed to be in the medic room, but she's not there now! I'll tell the others now!"

Scott was already turning cloud-white as Kitty made a speedy exit. Xavier had turned to look at him, and his face was exceedingly stern and cold. Scott swallowed, and whispered, "I didn't think she would leave so soon!"

"Well, Scott, isn't that what you wanted?"

"Yes. But not like this. Not like this," Scott groaned. "I didn't want to make Rachel leave with such bitterness towards us! I was hoping we could all at least come to a mutual understanding. It was never in my intention to hurt her like this. Oh, this is all my fault!"

"We are all to blame in this," Xavier sighed wearily. "Me included. It's clear none of us really knew how to deal with her after that incident with Rogue and Jean. And because of that, we all alienated her and let her think we hated and feared her. How could things have gone so badly wrong? And if she has nowhere to go and turns to the dark side in her despair…"

Scott gasped as the full implication of what they had done came crashing down like a building. "She could easily turn against us all," he whispered with horror.

"Yes, Scott, yes. Now do you see why I wanted her here so badly? I always knew the darker side of her was powerful. If her bitterness drives her to true evil, and she returns to avenge herself on us...she'd be a deadly enemy, Scott."

"We could all be dead," Scott whispered. "Oh no. Oh no."

Jean and Ororo came running in that moment, white with shock. "Professor, is it true?" Jean gasped. "Rachel just left? She just went like that without saying a word to anyone?"

"I'm afraid so, Jean. I can no longer sense her presence here." Xavier pressed his fingers to his temple, looking defeated and tired. "Her last message to Kitty is already a good confirmation that she's left us for good."

"No!" Ororo gasped. "This was not meant to happen! Not like this! Professor, we _must _go after her and explain things!"

"I wish it were that easy," Xavier sighed. "But nothing is that simple anymore."

"Why? What are you saying?" Ororo asked.

"She's blocking off her mind to me even now," Xavier replied. "I can't even _begin _to feel where she might be. It's as if she doesn't even exist anymore."

"We can't just leave things like this!" Jean protested vehemently. "I could never forgive myself if Rachel becomes our perpetual enemy. We were meant to be friends! Professor, isn't there something you could do?"

"I _will_ try, Jean," Xavier replied, "but nevertheless, we have to face the truth, all of us. If Rachel doesn't want to be found, she won't be found. And there is nothing we can do to change that. Nothing."


	17. To Azarath

The hut was old, broken-down and abandoned, but Rachel knew this place intimately. It was where she had spent the first few years of her life with the Darrack clan. They were the ones who had raised her until she was about ten and trained her to use her abilities, then she had been passed on to her next caregivers: a mysterious group of men and women in black known to Rachel only as 'the Order'. They had not treated Rachel like family, but they had been kind enough to teach Rachel how to execute well-planned moves with her powers, and they had told her something of her past. That day had not been so pleasant for Rachel. That day, she had learned the truth about her father, and why her powers went so wild and dark whenever she was emotional – and, ultimately, what she was destined to do someday. But they had said nothing about her mother, Azarath, or Karzor. Then, six years later, the Order had told Rachel it was time for her to leave them and move into the wider world – alone. She had a remarkable destiny and future, they said, and it was up to her to fulfill it someday, with her strength. When the time came, she would know what to do. That was all they had said to her before Rachel had left them forever.

Rachel didn't exactly regret leaving the Darrack clan and the Order. After all, they had never shared a close family bond; at least, not the kind Rachel had hoped to form with the X-Men. She had learned to live without love and intimacy, but that did not mean she never longed for it. Now her hopes were dashed, and she had to move on yet again.

Rachel placed her pack on the damp, cold, half-rotted wood next to her and levitated in the meditative position, summoning up all her willpower. _Karzor, please hear me! _her mind cried. _Hear me now! I have come, and I want to be in Azarath. I want you to train me, be my mentor. Karzor, can you hear me? _

_Rachel, I am here. Open your mind's eye and see me now. _

Rachel breathed deeply and in her mind, she saw Karzor approaching her slowly, in his familiar white robes. But this time, he had thrown back his hood, giving Rachel full access to the sight of his face. His face was ageless, neither young nor old, and was almost as pale as his garments. His eyes were a rich silver colour, wise and deep, the same colour as his silver hair falling down to his shoulders. Rachel looked at him curiously, and wondered if this ethereal, strange being really did exist, or whether he was simply a projection of her desperate mind.

_Rachel, do you see me now? _

_I see you, Karzor. Oh, please take me to Azarath! _

_Do you not want the X-Men anymore? _

_Their company is not for me. I am what I am; I can never be a part of their circle. It is time I tread a different path, I think. Will you take me to Azarath today? I am willing to learn whatever it is you can teach me. _

_That I know. Be at peace now. I will not leave you here alone. _

_Karzor, I hurt. _

In Rachel's mind, Karzor stretched out his hand and gently wrapped his fingers around hers. _Do not fret, child. I know how you feel. I can see all your sorrow and bitterness and hopes. Let them go, Rachel. They will only drag you back to the past so you cannot advance to the future. I am here for you. _

_Take me to Azarath, please. Can you do it? Or are you only in my mind, and unable to move my physically like you said the last time? _

_Those circumstances were different, child. That was then, now is now. Now that you are like this, almost at peace, I can show you what to do. _

_I'm ready for it, _Rachel said eagerly.

_You're already in the right position. Good. You know the art of inter-dimensional traveling, do you not? _

_I do, but I don't know if it will work for Azarath. _

_Same principle, Rachel. Dimensional traveling is nearly always the same for all dimensions. Keep your eyes closed. Now, merge your mind with mine…yes, like that. See Azarath the way I see it. I will help you…now, open the portal door. You know how to do it. _

Rachel breathed in and out deeply as she carefully opened the rift through space, just as she had been taught before. The power in her heightened, and she felt Karzor's approval as he lent his thoughts to her, showing her mental images of Azarath. The portal opened fully, and Rachel felt her body growing strangely light, almost immaterial.

_Don't fight the sensation. You're doing well. Keep it up steadily now. You're almost there. _

_Azarath Metrion ZINTHOS! _Rachel startled herself considerably as she uttered those words. Why had she said them? She didn't even know what they meant!

_Good. You know the words, and you know the technique. Now, keep the rift open, and move through it. I am here with you. Do it slowly. Azarath is a different dimension from what you're used to. _

Satisfied, with more hope in her darkened heart now, Rachel smiled and took flight into the dimension. She saw her world bursting into a scene of shining, sparkling white and pale blue and violet, and she felt the portal closing behind her as she left earth. Karzor still kept a grip on her hand, and as Rachel took in the unearthly light around her, its brilliance growing more illuminant each second, he smiled at her. Then the scene shifted, and Rachel beheld a bright world of white towers and buildings before her.

_Behold your new home, Rachel. Azarath. _


	18. Rachel's Past

Azarath was a place like nothing Rachel had ever seen before. There were no houses like on earth; all the buildings resembled huge and tall white towers that seemed to reach the sky. Images of a white bird with outstretched wings had been emblazoned on the walls of several buildings. It was extremely quiet; there seemed to be no-one else. Rachel stared at the bird images, and felt her skin prickling. Why did those birds seem so familiar? She felt sure she had seen them before.

"You were born here, you know," Karzor said, as he led Rachel down the roads. "I'll never forget it. Sixteen years ago, when your mother Arella went into labour, I was there with Clelo, presiding over your birth. I remember Clelo blessing you when you emerging, foreseeing your remarkable destiny."

"Who's Clelo?"

"One of the priestesses here," Karzor replied. "A powerful seer who sees much. She's awaiting you even now."

"Expecting me already?" Rachel said, with surprise.

"She foresaw your return here a long time ago," Karzor replied calmly. "She always knew you would return someday, after you left Azarath."

"Why was I sent away from Azarath to begin with?"

"We'll talk in a more appropriate place. I think it's time I tell you of your past, Rachel. You've been kept ignorant of it for long enough. We'll speak in my house."

Karzor's house was topped with a small round dome of a pale blue shade. As they approached, Karzor raised a hand and made a pushing motion with it, opening the front door. Rachel wondered if he was a telekinetic, like her. As if reading her mind, Karzor turned and smiled slightly.

"You're not the only one here with uncanny abilities," he said. "All the monks and priestesses here have been trained to utilize our energy to the maximum. Come in and sit down."

There was nothing unusual in the interior of the house. It might have been like any other house on earth. Rachel felt fairly comfortable at once. As she opened her mouth to ask Karzor where she was to sit, he raised his hand again and several flat, circle-shaped objects lightly floated towards them.

"Your chair," Karzor smiled. "It's different from what you're used to, but that's how it is here." He crossed his legs under him and levitated upwards, lowering himself onto one of the floating chairs.

Rachel did the same, thankful that levitating came to her so naturally. "You were going to tell me of my past?"

"Yes." Karzor inclined his head. "Seventeen and a half years ago, Trigon met your mother Arella, a human woman. Deception followed, and that was how you were conceived a year and a half later. You don't need to know the details about them. Broken-hearted and ashamed, Arella ran, and Clelo received a vision of her. She saw that the baby in her womb was half-human, half-monster, and so she called to Arella in a dream and brought her here to Azarath. Clelo said nothing about you until you were born, then she pronounced a prophecy over you. She and Arella raised you for three years, then it became evident that no-one here in Azarath was safe, let alone you. Trigon's power had grown, and he wanted to destroy Azarath and get his hands on you, his only surviving child. And so, Clelo and your mother handed you over to the Darrack clan on earth to be raised and trained. They're descended from some of the monks and priestesses of Azarath, and so, they do possess some uncanny abilities. Then, when you were ten, we decided that the Darracks could only teach you a limited amount, so Clelo instructed them to hand you over the Order. The Order consists of another race who once dwelled here in Azarath. In the meantime, the rest of us stayed here and spent six years fighting off Trigon and strengthening this dimension."

"And you won, clearly."

"It was not a full victory." Karzor smiled sadly. "Trigon did succeed in killing many of us in the battle. And much of Azarath was destroyed too. Much of what you see now is just a phantom Azarath."

"Phantom?" Rachel echoed.

"Not everything here is real or exists. More than you know is just an energy projection." Seeing Rachel's expression, Karzor went on, "No, that doesn't include this house. This house is something that wasn't destroyed."

"I'm sorry to hear about that. I didn't realize Trigon came after Azarath too. If I had known, I'd have tried to help. This is my birthplace after all."

"There wouldn't have been much you could have done," Karzor replied. "Trigon is far more powerful than you think."

"I know that." Rachel's lips tightened, and her face grew cold. "And to think _he _is the one who fathered me."

"He may have sired you, but that does not make him your father," Karzor said quietly. "Rachel…you do you know the prophecy about yourself, yes?"

"I wish I didn't!" Rachel cried. I'd give anything to not have to know it! It's nothing but a burden to me, knowing what I'm destined to do!"

Karzor nodded. "Don't dwell on that thought now. It will avail you nothing. I didn't tell you of your past only to put you into more misery. I did it because I thought it best for you to understand something more about yourself. Now, shall we go see Clelo?"

Rachel nodded, then remembered something else. "Did you send someone to tell me that you and Azarath were awaiting me? A man in black robes with mismatched eyes."

Karzor inclined his head. "That I did. He's only been here for several months."

"Then what was he doing on earth?"

"I sent him there myself."

"For what?"

Karzor smiled slightly. "You and him are more alike than you think. Now, I shall take you to meet Clelo first. Then, if you wish, I shall let you meet that man."

**Just to let you know, in the comics, that's NOT what happened to Raven. It's something I chose to make up myself. **


	19. Meeting Clelo

Clelo the priestess was nothing like how Rachel imagined her to be. Rachel had half-expected her to be like Karzor: silver-haired and silver-eyed. Clelo, however, had the face of a very young woman, and her hair was pitch-black, a sharp contrast to her colourless, misty eyes. Her garments consisted of a long white gown with a black belt around her narrow waist and a long cloak and hood of white. A thin silver circlet adorned with a white bird, similar to the image on the building walls, sat on her head. As Karzor approached her, leading Rachel with him, Clelo's face broke into a smile. That expression was so chillingly familiar that Rachel blinked.

"Rachel! You've returned to Azarath at last. I always knew this day would come!"

Rachel had not been expecting such a warm welcome from the priestess, and could barely conceal her surprise. Clelo stepped forward, arms extended, and Rachel politely accepted her embrace.

"Do you remember me?"

"Maybe a little," Rachel answered truthfully. "As if I were in a dream."

"That doesn't matter. Welcome home, Rachel."

"Home. Does that mean I may live out the rest of my life here?"

Clelo looked at Rachel, and an odd smile lifted her lips. "Things can change, Rachel. Nothing in life is what you expect it to be. As to your question, I cannot answer it yet. You must make your own choices and decide what you want later. But for now, you may remain here, if that is what you wish."

"It _is _what I want for now," Rachel replied confidently. "There's nowhere else for me to go."

Clelo nodded understandingly. "Yes, fitting in with others can be harder than we think at times. But you need not worry here. Here, you're no different from anyone else. You'll live with Karzor, and he will be your mentor. When you have mastered everything you need to know, you may make your own decision as to what you wish to do after that."

"Does that include staying on here in Azarath?"

"Perhaps. Or perhaps not. It's your choice; remember that."

Looking into Clelo's wise, gentle face, Rachel wondered privately if the priestess ever had any motherly feelings for her. If Karzor was to be believed, this was the woman who had raised her for the first three years of her life. Along with her mother. Where, then, was Arella?

"Clelo? Do you know what happened to my mother?"

Clelo looked at Karzor, and Rachel sensed an unheard message passing between them. Finally, Karzor cleared his throat, looking somewhat uneasy. "She's…not exactly here anymore."

Rachel sucked in her breath, trying to come to terms with that. "Then, my mother is…dead?"

"Not in the way earthlings understand," Clelo replied gently. "Yes, Arella is gone, but she is still here, in a way. Some parts of someone cannot just disappear and be lost forever. It _is _still possible to see her at times, if you know how to look. Do you remember much about her?"

"Fragments," Rachel replied. "A beautiful woman in white, surrounded by white doves."

Clelo nodded. "Arella has never forgotten you either," she said.

"Do you still see her, then?"

"Sometimes, in my visions. Other times, I see the part of her that's still left in another plane here in Azarath. But her body exists no more."

"So, all that's left of my mother is some sort of…energy being?"

"You could say that, yes."

Rachel cocked her head, trying to make sense of everything. "What did you mean by saying she's in another plane in Azarath?"

"There are worlds within worlds in most dimensions, and Azarath is the same. Your mother is here, but not in the same plane as we are in now. It's similar enough to two people being in different rooms in the same house."

"So, is it possible to enter the other room and see my mother, then?"

"Sometimes," Clelo replied. "But it is not easy. Arella is no longer the same woman she once was, before meeting Trigon. A part of her was lost forever when he deceived her. But never doubt that she still loves you, Rachel. One day, if she is willing, I will take you to the place where you can see her."

"Thank you." Rachel smiled a little. "I'd like that. Even I can't remember her, I still owe it to her to be her daughter."

"You are a good person, Rachel. Your mother would be very proud of you if she could see you today."

"I hardly think so. Not if she knew the things I did when I was with the X-Men."

"Rachel, no-one is blaming you for that," Karzor said gently. "Hurt does so much to a person, even when we do not acknowledge it. And you had the right to be angry, after the way they treated you."

"No!" Rachel protested sharply. "They had the right to treat me the way they did. After all, what else was I but a danger to them?"

"I think we've heard enough about the X-Men for now," Clelo put in. "Karzor, take Rachel home now and let her rest. Tomorrow, she should begin training with you and your other pupil. She still has a long road ahead of her, and I think it's time she started her journey. Rachel, I will come by tomorrow and see you again. There is still much you need to know. Goodbye for now."

"Goodbye, Clelo. If you see my mother again, tell her…tell her…"

"Yes, I will tell her." Clelo inclined her head and raised her hand in the air in farewell.

"Come, let's go home," Karzor said quietly. "It's time you meet your other housemate."

"Do you mean the man who came to earth to pass that message to me?" Rachel asked. "Is he living with us too?"

"Yes. He only came to Azarath several months ago, in the same sort of situation as you. He had a dreadful lack of control over his powers, and more than once, he had wrecked havoc in the city, on a much bigger scale than you. But he's well on the way to mastering his powers now."

"Is he a telekinetic like me?"

"No. His abilities stem from his mother, a woman of another race who once lived here in Azarath before their disappearance. His strength lies in his ability to exert control over the six elements: earth, air, fire, water, lightning and metal, and his power over darkness. And he does possess telepathy and the ability to fly."

"Power over darkness?"

"Yes. He can create darkness in the light, wherever he wishes. That was the technique you saw him using that day. By creating darkness only around himself, he can remain concealed as he wishes. That's an ability he inherited from an ancestor of his father, a creature of darkness."

"That sounds quite similar to my darkness-generating abilities."

"Indeed. Only he uses a more controlled, non-offensive version of it than you."

"You said he's a lot like me. I don't want to pry too much, but what do you mean by that? Aside from his lack of control, that is. Where's his family?"

"He has none," Karzor replied. "His mother disappeared shortly after he was born, and his father is a common criminal on earth. His son wants to have nothing to do with him. He was raised by humans until he was ten, then the Order took over his care."

"If we were both raised and trained by the Order," Rachel asked, thinking quickly, then why do we both lack control over our powers?"

"The Order left Azarath centuries ago and formed their own dimension. In time to come, they begin to forget some of the techniques employed by those living in Azarath. Here in Azarath, there is only one true solution to learning how to control your powers. My pupil learned this trick, and now, his earlier problem is no longer an issue with him. In time to come, you too will become like that. Now, are you ready to meet your new housemate?"


	20. Nightwalker

Karzor led Rachel to a room in the back of his house and knocked on the door softly. There was the softest shuffling sound from within, and then the door opened slightly. Rachel sensed his presence even before she saw him, and she immediately recognized that aura.

"Rachel's here to meet you," Karzor said pleasantly, as if introducing them over coffee.

The door creaked open further, and he emerged. He was the oddest person Rachel had ever seen before in all the years of her life. On the outside, he looked like any human, save for his odd eyes. One eye was black, so black that it seemed it had never known light, while the other eye was so blue it nearly hurt to look at it. His shoulder-length hair was pitch-black as well, streaked with pale blue all the way on the left side. His clothes consisted of a long robe of black furnished with a dark cloak and hood, the only colour consisting of a white embroidery on the left side in the shape of a white bird. Forgetting all her manners, Rachel stared.

"This is Rachel Roth," Karzor said calmly. "I believe you've seen her before on earth. "And Rachel, this is Nightwalker."

Nightwalker inclined his head politely, returning Rachel's scrutiny with equal curiosity. Karzor cast them a brief glance, and smiled. Nightwalker did have a most unusual appearance that naturally attracted stares. Not that he cared any longer. All that attention was something he had long accepted since he was just a child.

"Nightwalker, show Rachel to her room. She needs to rest for now. Tomorrow, her training with us begins."

Nightwalker nodded, keeping his eyes fixed on Rachel. It was not an admiring glance he was giving her; it was one of curiosity, maybe some mild interest. Karzor smiled again and depart quietly.

"You'll be sleeping here." Nightwalker finally spoke as he gestured to the room several meters away from his. "It's not a luxurious sort of room, but it's comfortable enough. Are you tired?"

"No. Not in the usual way, at least."

"Tired of being an outcast, perhaps?"

Rachel's eyes snapped open wider. "Are you reading my mind or what?"

Nightwalker shrugged casually. "I don't have to. I already guessed the truth when Karzor said you were like me. His meaning was obvious enough. And I know what it feels like to be cast out, believe me. I've been wandering around from home to home for longer than I can remember. There was just no-one who really wanted me until the Order took over my care."

"You're telling me such personal things when you don't even know me?" Rachel enquired.

"I don't consider it personal anymore," Nightwalker replied casually, his tone rather dispassionate. "Such thoughts no longer have the power to hurt me. Accepting them as part of my past is so much easier."

"That's easier said than done."

"For some, not always. You'll grow into it one day."

Rachel headed into her room, and Nightwalker followed behind. "So, Rachel, you're a telekinetic and empath, right? Karzor told me you have a much wider range of powers than I do."

"I'm a telekinetic and empath, yes. As to having a wider range of powers than you, I can't say for sure. Besides, I don't think it should matter. Learning how to master those powers is far more important."

"You sound just like the priestesses here," Nightwalker commented.

"Ah well." Rachel shrugged. "I might as well get used to it, then, while I'm here."

"While you're here?" Nightwalker echoed. "Are you planning to leave Azarath someday, like me?"

"I have no fixed plans yet," Rachel replied. "You mean, you're leaving here one day? You're not going to make Azarath your home?"

"I would like to, but I can't. When I first discovered my powers, and what sort of person my father was, I swore that I would spend the rest of my life fighting people like him. I'm assuming Karzor told you about him?"

"A common criminal was what he said your father was."

"That's right. A _murderer_." Nightwalker almost spat the word out. "The concept of right and wrong meant nothing to him. I watched him once as he stabbed a pregnant woman to death and forced me to keep my eyes open." His face twisted with revulsion. "That was the moment I vowed never to be like him. I was only four years old then, and I ran away. My father ended up in jail, while I spent my next six years passed from family to family. Guess I was too weird for them. The Order found me when I was ten, and they trained me for the next five and a half years, before I wound up here. When my training is complete, I intend to return to earth and fight all the criminals I can – including my father."

"You said he was in jail."

"He _was_, until he escaped two years ago. And it's in my intention to find him and make sure he's put back into the cage where he belongs. It's a pity my telepathy isn't strong or well-developed enough to locate him." He smiled wryly at himself. "What about you? How did you end up with the X-Men?"

"We had a chance meeting," Rachel replied, "when we were fighting Plasmus. They invited me to join them, and since I had nowhere else to go, I agreed, until things changed. You probably know the rest: how I became a threat to them and everything. So here I am now, thanks to Karzor."

Nightwalker nodded, not pressing her for further questions. "At least I shall have a training-mate now," he said, with a little smile. "There's almost no-one else around here of our age. Everyone else is either a long-lived priestess or monk with their own business to mind. You'll be joining me and Karzor for training tomorrow?"

"Certainly. The faster I can master the powers, the better it will be for everyone, before I blow up something else."

Nightwalker seemed unperturbed by this. "You don't have to worry about your control issues," he said calmly. "Karzor is the best mentor you could hope for, and even if you were to lose control, the other monks and priestesses here can easily suppress your power. All of them are experts in energy manipulation. And see this here?" Nightwalker pushed back his dark fringe of hair to reveal something that Rachel had not noticed before: a small, diamond-shaped object of red.

"What's that?"

"Power diamond," Nightwalker replied. "When I first came here, I decided that I had too much power in me, so Karzor agreed to seal off a great portion of it. This diamond is a sort of seal; it's what contains that sealed-off power now. The power in it _can _be unleashed, though it's probably not the best idea. Now things are much better. With more than half my power sealed off, and Karzor's techniques for power control, I don't have to worry about going berserk anymore." His lips curved in a smile that seemed completely at odds with his serious face. "And someday, I'll be ready to return to earth and bring justice to it wherever and whenever I can."

"You have somewhere there to stay in?"

"I won't want or need one." Nightwalker glanced round at Rachel's room and remembered why she was in there for. "Now, I've talked enough about myself for today. I think it's time you sleep, before Karzor ticks me off. I'll see you again later."

Rachel nodded, wondering if she would ever be able to sleep in peace, even as Nightwalker exited quietly and shut the door behind him. Remembering her conversation with him, she smiled a little. Though they had just met, he had already spoken to her as a friend, someone he could trust. Perhaps, Rachel thought, just perhaps, it would be possible to make a new friend in him.


	21. First Training Session

"The first thing you need to know is the technique we employ here to keep our energy in check."

The training session had started, and Karzor was levitating opposite Rachel, alone in his room. Rachel was levitating in her meditation position as well, clinging on to every one of Karzor's words. Holding her breath in anticipation, she waited.

"Here, we do not see our powers as another part of ourselves. The energy inside us is _part _of us, like our blood. Do not attempt to keep it under control so much that you strive to hold it back. The key to _truly _controlling is to _put a part of yourself into it. _Let part of your soul merge with that energy. That alone will do the trick."

"_Merge _with it?" Rachel exclaimed.

"Yes. Only by putting part of yourself into that power can you keep it in check. In the past, you've been working _against _it, striving to push it back when it emerged. That's why it's been going out of control. From now on, you will have to learn how to become one with the energy within."

"What about meditation?" Rachel asked.

"It's good for calming the mind and controlling your emotions. But that's as far as it goes. It is a necessary step to ensure your emotions are in control, but it does not help with controlling your powers. For someone like you, your emotions and powers are twined together, hence it will be necessary to teach you how to suppress your emotions as well. When you've learned not to feel your emotions and how to become one with your powers, then you will know you are ready."

"Not feel my emotions? How can that be?"

"It's a matter of not experiencing those emotions at all," Karzor replied. "For instance, if someone were to aggravate you, it would be natural to feel anger. Here, we learn to detach our emotions completely from our mind. Though the anger is _there_, we do not _feel _it. We suppress it, and stop ourselves from feeling that emotion. Do you understand that?"

"I think I do. You're saying that I can get angry, but not _feel _that anger?"

"Precisely. That is the first step to take in controlling those emotions of yours. _Know _that you are angry, but do not give in to it. And it's easiest to start off by meditating. Close your eyes. Now, recite the words. You know them."

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos?"

"Those are the key words you will require when meditating or using your powers. Repeat them as you meditate. Let go of all your thoughts…good. Keep your mind serene, and don't feel anything. Now recite the words."

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos. Azarath Metrion Zinthos. Azarath…"

_Good. That's it. Keep it up until I tell you to stop. _

Gradually, Rachel felt all her burdens lightening until they felt almost insignificant. She felt Karzor touching her mind very gently, and she knew he was in there with her, gradually soothing her mind.

_Good, Rachel. You can stop now. _

Rachel inhaled and exhaled deeply slowly coming back to the present. "How long have I been meditating?"

"Over an hour now."

"That long?" Rachel gasped. "I thought it had only been a few minutes!"

"Yes, things go so much slower when you're meditating, isn't it?"

"Is that a normal occurrence?"

"Certainly. And it's a good sign. That shows you're succeeding in keeping all thoughts out of your mind. Each day, we'll start off with meditation first. Then, when your mind is calm enough, we'll progress to emotion-controlling techniques. After a few weeks, I'll get you started on learning how to merge with your powers."

"Sounds good to me. Will I be joining Nightwalker for the training sessions too?"

"Occasionally, yes. When you've progressed far enough, you two will be permitted to train by means of one-on-one combat against each other."

"I don't think that's a good idea for me…"

"We'll cross the bridge when we come to it. By the time you reach that stage, you won't even be thinking about the old issues. Now, it's time to progress to emotion-controlling."

Rachel nodded eagerly.

"Close your eyes. Breathe deeply, and keep your mind calm….that's it. Now, imagine that someone has come up to you and is slapping you for no reason. How would you feel?"

"Angry."

"Alright. Now, imagine that anger inside you. Think of a scenario in the past that has angered you greatly. Let your anger build up slowly."

This wasn't too hard to do. Rachel squeezed her lids and pictured herself and Scott arguing away, as he spoke to her as if she were a monster. Anger came much faster than expected. She felt Karzor laying his hand over hers, and his voice in her head.

_That's it. Now, try to distance yourself from that anger. Imagine that it's there, but it's contained. Try to think of it as something that's there, but unable to be experienced. _

_This is not easy! _

_It's not meant to be easy. No, no, don't try to suppress that anger. Just distance yourself from it. Let that anger remain, but don't feel it. _

Over and over again, Rachel tried to do as Karzor instructed, trying a whole variety of methods. By the time an hour was up, she was sweating from the effort – and she had yet to find a way that worked. She was already starting to think it impossible when Karzor spoke up.

"Don't expect to succeed in this in one day," Karzor said. "This is something that will likely take weeks at least. Don't push yourself too hard. For now, it's time for you to take a break."

"I can keep going."

"Perhaps you think so, but it's not a good idea to tax yourself so hard on the first day. Today's training is meant to just be an introduction, nothing more."

There was no point in trying to persuade Karzor otherwise. With a sigh, Rachel got up and asked where Nightwalker was.

"Probably meditating in his room now. Do you want to see him in action? I think he'll be more than happy to demonstrate his powers to you."

"I wouldn't mind seeing him in action."

"I'll call him, then. You head to the training-room first. I'm glad you asked about him." Karzor got up and headed to Nightwalker's room.

Alone, Rachel headed to the regular training room, wondering why Karzor's eyes had been glinting so much as she had mentioned Nightwalker.


	22. Training Together

Nightwalker took his place in the center of room, surrounded by some water, metal and earth. His face was the perfect picture of total calm, and Rachel found herself envying that. She would have given up anything to have that sort of assurance.

"Start when you're ready, Nightwalker. Oh, and don't try anything too drastic."

Nightwalker made his move immediately, levitating several large rocks upwards. As they defied gravity, Nightwalker moved them skywards, rotating them round and round in a circle. As the rocks changed direction and moved further upwards in different directions, Nightwalker sent out several small blasts of fire and lightning towards them with deadly accuracy, smashing the rocks into little fragments. As the fragments descended, Nightwalker simultaneously sent out a few gusts of air towards them, preventing them from dropping. Rachel kept her eyes glued on him, impressed by his skills. As he maintained the flow of air upwards the keep the stones from falling, Nightwalker deftly levitated a piece of metal directly beneath the rocks, stretching it out and sweeping them together into a bunch and letting them fall onto the piece of metal. Moving his hands deftly, Nightwalker emptied all the stone fragments into the bucket and bent the piece of metal back into its original shape.

"Aren't you going to demonstrate your water streaming technique?"

"I can, if you want me to." Nightwalker moved his arms gracefully, in a dance-like motion, and water begin to rise from the bucket next to him. Under his direction, the water begin a slow, graceful dance, swirling around and above Nightwalker's head. Entranced, Rachel watched him intently as he demonstrated several other complicated manouevres with the water. It was a little like watching someone dancing with water.

"Water is Nightwalker's favourite element," Karzor explained to Rachel. "He likes to say that he was born to be a water-streamer. It's the element he has the most mastery over, ever since he first came here."

"He'd be a most formidable opponent in battle," Rachel remarked.

"And so would you," Karzor said. "Now, Rachel, it's your turn. Go up there and show us what you can do. And don't worry about losing control."

Nightwalker flickered his eyes towards Rachel briefly and moved to stand near Karzor while Rachel took her place in the center. She took a deep breath, then began to levitate the buckets upwards, careful not to overdo anything. She kept the movements light and easy, and then returned the buckets to their resting-place. Karzor nodded with approval.

"You've got talent there," he said. "Much more talent than you realized. It's time we bring out the rest of that potential in you soon."

"Will it take long for me to learn how to control my emotions first?"

"I don't think so. By meditating even before you came here, you'd already started the training process. Besides, you already know how to _use _those powers of yours and execute the necessary moves. Since we needn't start right from the beginning, I think you should be able to have full mastery over your powers within months."

"Only _months_?" Rachel echoed.

Karzor nodded gravely. "The Darracks and the Order taught you well," he replied. "I've seen you perform enough high-level techniques to know that you're almost ready to be a full-fledged warrior of Azarath. All we have to do now is work on some controlling techniques. Now, I shall have to leave you two here alone for the time being. There's a meeting for all the monks and priestesses I have to attend. You two train together until I return. Don't do anything too vigorously."

When Karzor had left, Nightwalker levitated a large rock upwards towards him and faced Rachel with raised eyebrows. "Let's imagine that I want to attack you with this rock, and take it from there," he said, taking command efficiently. "Shall we start?"

Rachel nodded and extended a hand towards the rock, keeping an eye on it. As the rock moved towards her, she automatically begin to react. For fifteen minutes without stop, she and Nightwalker kept the rock going between them, back and forth more times than they could count. Nightwalker quietly observed Rachel's actions, not failing to notice her fluid moves, quick reactions and grace. Karzor was right. Rachel was no rookie in this. She already had much experience, and with the right sort of training, she would soon be quite unbeatable.

"Shall we move on to two rocks now?"

"That's fine with me."

Nightwalker continued to levitate the rock they were using for several more minutes before lifting up the second rock, directing it towards Rachel swiftly. Rachel easily deflected the upcoming attacks, skillfully manipulating both rocks so that neither of them came close to even touching her. For a good half-hour, they continued to work at it, until at last Nightwalker recalled both the rocks to him and dropped them down.

"You're good," he said. "Better than I thought you'd be."

Rachel raised her eyes. "You thought I was still a rookie?"

"No. I just didn't think you were already this good. From what I can see, you do have excellent coordination and reflexes. I really wouldn't want to be your opponent in battle."

"And I don't think I would want to be yours either."

Nightwalker's lips curved upwards in the smallest of smiles. "If so, we'd better keep up this level. Are you good in manipulating water?"

Rachel shook her head. "Telekinesis works best with solid objects, not liquids."

"But it's possible," Nightwalker said. "And it's a useful technique. What if you were to encounter a burning house with people trapped inside? I can teach you, if you like."

"Sounds good to me."

Nightwalker swirled his right arm sideways in a graceful arch, directing a stream of water towards him. "The trick to mastering water-streaming lies in your ability to produce fluid, graceful movements. Your movements must be like water: free and flowing. Like this." Nightwalker rotated his arm in a circle, and the water streamed round in a similar movement. "Try it."

Rachel directed a small bubble of telekinetic energy towards the water and kept it levitating in mid-air for several moments. Nightwalker watched her closely with a critical eye. With obvious concentration, Rachel tried to stream the water just as Nightwalker had done. It didn't work well at all. Not only were the movements awkward and jerky; Rachel felt as if she could scarcely control it.

"Relax," Nightwalker instructed. "Keep your arm steady and fluid. Imagine that you're moving _like _the water. Don't force it."

"Easy for you to say that," Rachel retorted, through gritted teeth.

"Do it gracefully…yes, that's a little better. Don't try to exert too much control over it. You have to let it flow freely, or it'll never work."

It eventually got slightly better as Rachel relaxed a little more. Nightwalker continued to encourage her with surprising patience, now and then offering her advice. By the time another half-hour was over, Rachel found she could at least move the water in a graceful line in front of her, even if she still felt awkward and somewhat stiff.

"You'll get better as you practice more," was what Nightwalker said, as Rachel heaved a huge sigh. "Now, let's try with these bits of metal."

From further away, the meeting now over, Karzor watched the pair with approval as they picked up the training again, this time utilizing a sheet of metal. Neither of them looked in his direction, but he sensed the concentration they were pouring into the training. That was just what he wanted from them. Nothing less was required if they were to face the long and arduous journey ahead of them that destiny had in store for them.

**Sorry for the late update! My break has come to an end, so from now on, I won't be able to update as frequently. Really sorry about that, but I'll try my best to keep it up. **


	23. Reliance

Karzor levitated in mid-air and watched as Rachel bit her lip and tried the technique again. A month had passed since Rachel's arrival in Azarath, and things were progressing pretty well. Rachel was quite a workhorse, and unable to stay idle for long. Whenever there was spare time, she could always be found meditating in her room or practising a new technique. It never took her long to master a new trick each time she was taught one.

"Good, that's it," Karzor said, with approval. "Now, see if you can do that again. That's _exactly _what you need to achieve. Try again."

Again, Rachel tried, coming very close to what she was striving to accomplish.

"Good. You're halfway through now. Keep this up for another month, and we can progress to the next step."

"Which is?"

"Learning how to merge with your powers. That will take a fair bit of control as well, so we can't start until you gain complete mastery over your powers. Do that again."

By the time another hour was over, Rachel's forehead and hair were damp with sweat. Karzor called it a day, and Rachel swiped a hand over her forehead, puffing out her cheeks.

"That's hard work," she remarked dryly.

"Everything here is hard work," Karzor replied, with a small smile. "Go and rest now, or spend some time with Nightwalker. We'll continue later."

"Spend time with Nightwalker?" Rachel looked at Karzor sharply, and thought she saw him trying to stifle a smile. "Why is it that you _always _suggest I do that every time training's over?"

"Because you'll need to learn to rely on each other."

Rachel narrowed her eyes and stared at Karzor, trying to make sense of his words. "Rely on each other? What do you mean?"

Karzor blinked, and the odd, far-away look in his eyes dissipated in a flash. "Don't forget, I see things others don't see."

Rachel longed for nothing more than to question him further, but Karzor's face was so closed-up and serious that she knew asking him anything more would be in vain. Instead, she excused herself quietly and left, deciding that what he had said about her and Nightwalker was nothing too meaningful.

Nightwalker was in the other training-room, still working hard as if his life depended on it. Water was streaming and dancing around the room in long, clear blue ribbons. Unaware that Rachel was there, Nightwalker continued to direct the water streams in a dance-like motion, one of them accidentally striking Rachel on the shoulder.

"Ow," Rachel muttered half-heartedly, though it didn't hurt. The dark, wet patch on her leotard was starting to spread, chilling her warm skin slightly. "Nightwalker!"

"Oh. Rachel. I didn't see you there." Nightwalker streamed the water back into the bucket and lowered his arms. "Do you need something?"

"No. I've finished training for the time being. Karzor told me to come here." She could hardly tell him _and spend some time with you_. That was too intimate a sentence to say to someone like him. Though she and Nightwalker had grown closer over the past month, she couldn't boast of sharing a good, strong friendship with him. Nightwalker was always so quiet, so reserved that it was extremely hard to break through his outer wall. Until now, Rachel still knew very little about him.

"If that's the case, let's train together. Unless you're too tired to move your arms?" Nightwalker said, not altogether joking.

"I can still train," Rachel retorted.

"Think fast!" Nightwalker deliberately hurled a rock in her direction, keeping the movement sharp and fast. Rachel reacted immediately, deflecting the rock well before it could strike her. The intensity level immediately went up, and both of them had a very satisfying half-hour training together. Nightwalker noted that Rachel was so much more confident now, and fairly unafraid of pushing herself further than usual. Deciding to take the training further, he deliberately kept the rock moving in front of her as a distraction, before sending a water whip towards her at top speed.

Deciding that trying to manipulate the water directly wasn't the best idea, Rachel flung up a shield in front of herself quickly. Nightwalker cocked his head slightly, then moved his foot on the ground, deliberately shaking the earth beneath Rachel's feet.

In a flash, Rachel reacted, levitating in mid-air and spreading another shield beneath herself while she flew out of the way. A lifetime of training kicked in, and she began to treat the training as a real battle. Nightwalker smiled, his eyes filled with a somewhat challenging expression, and he began to pick up the pace as well, flinging rocks and sheets of metal at Rachel.

"Good training, you two."

Karzor's appearance was so sudden that the rock Nightwalker was using froze in mid-air, several feet away from Rachel. Karzor took one look at it and immediately levitated the rock out of the way, walking forward calmly. "Good work," he said, with an approving nod. "You two are doing pretty well together. At this rate, it would take a pretty brave person to face either of you."

"It's just training," Nightwalker replied.

"Perhaps. Or perhaps not." Karzor looked round at the both of them and began to back away. "Not everything is what you think it is. I'll leave you two to it." As he turned and left, he cast a last glance over his shoulder, and Rachel heard his voice in her mind.

_Don't forget what I told you, Rachel. I don't say such things in vain. You and Nightwalker still have a long way to go together before you're ready to work as a perfect pair. Remember, you two need to learn to rely on each other. _

_What…_

_You'll understand when the time comes. _Karzor shut off his mind, and that was all Rachel heard from him.

Frowning, she murmured her response to Nightwalker as he quietly asked her if she wished to continue the training, though her mind was somewhere else for the time being. As Nightwalker directed a larger piece of rock upwards, preparing it, Rachel felt her vision changing. She no longer saw Nightwalker or the rock he was levitating in front of him. Instead, her eyes saw a clear image of herself facing a black-clad figure whose face was entirely shadowed by a dark hood. He literally radiated evil. As Rachel stared back him, frozen and unable to move, her opponent began to step forward, a pale, long-fingered hand pointing at her. He was saying something to her, but Rachel heard none of his words. He laughed, a sinister, evil laughter that sent a chill down her back, and Rachel felt fear creeping through every corner of her mind.

Next to her, Nightwalker suddenly materialized himself. He barked out something to the black-clad finger, and Rachel heard their enemy responding, though she couldn't make out his words. A black cloud arose around his body, growing larger and larger with each passing moment, and Rachel gasped. She tried to raise her arms, but her body was paralysed. All she could do was to remain where she was, staring at her enemy with sheer terror as he walked closer and closer…

"Rachel!"

Nightwalker's voice sounded too far-away and indistinct to be significant. In her vision, Nightwalker moved sideways, spreading out an arm to shield her from their enemy. Rachel watched as the two of them sized up each other in silence, energy crackling around them, and then all she saw was chaos…

_Rachel! Rachel, snap out of it! _

Strong hands grabbed her shoulders and shook her violently, with sufficient force to wake her up. Rachel gasped and jerked sharply, and the vision ended there and then. Nightwalker was just a foot away from her, frowning hard as he peered at her face intently.

"What's wrong? You looked as if you just saw a monster!"

"I…I…no, it's nothing."

"You don't lie very well." Nightwalker released his hands from her shoulders and stepped back. "A vision, was it?"

Rachel looked at him sharply. "How did you know?"

"A lot of people here do see visions of the future now and then," he replied. "It's a fairly common occurrence, especially in those with enough mental abilities. Besides, it was pretty obvious, from the way your eyes were glowing white and staring blankly. What is it you saw?"

Rachel shook her head. "Nothing significant," she lied. "Nothing."


	24. Manifestations

The visions and dreams came swiftly and mercilessly that night. Rachel tossed and turned restlessly on her head, her skin dotted with perspiration that owed nothing to the mild warmth of her room. Though her body was asleep, her mind was still wide awake – and filled with the most terrifying images she had ever seen.

_You can't stop this, little daughter. No-one can. This has been your fate since the day you were formed in your mother's womb. Accept this, and embrace your destiny! _

_No! No! I don't believe you! I don't want to do this! _

_There's nothing you can do, you fool. You cannot change what was always meant to be. _

_No! You're lying! _

_Just look deep into yourself. You will know I am telling the truth, nothing more. _

_NOOO! _Rachel screamed aloud as Trigon moved towards her in the vision, his mouth open and laughing. Rachel felt as small and insignificant as an ant at that moment. The world around her was red and black, burning like a million torches with Trigon presiding over it all, the king of the world. This was not new, seeing this terrible vision, but each time it happened, Rachel's fears intensified.

"Rachel! Rachel, wake up!"

Rachel shuddered and bolted upright, her laboured breaths sounding like thunder in her ears. Her sight darkened, and she realized she was sitting upright in bed, with Nightwalker next to her, gripping her arms with enough force to bruise her skin. Still half-caught in that vision, it took her some time to return to the world of her room where she was safe. Nightwalker shifted one of his hands to her forehead, and Rachel felt the cool, wet touch of water on her temples. Light and gentle, a stream of energy flowed through her head, and she felt her panic gradually subsiding.

"Better now?" Nightwalker asked quietly.

Rachel nodded mutely and gripped Nightwalker's other hand so tightly that he nearly winced. "But he was here," she croaked. "I saw him! He was right in front of me, and then…"

"A vision only. Nothing more. It's not the first time you're going through them, right?" Karzor's calm, casual tone suggested this was nothing new to him either.

"Even one time is one time too many," Rachel muttered.

"Should I ask Karzor to come here now?"

"No. What can he do about something like this, anyway?" Rachel released Nightwalker's hand and let out a long, steady breath of air. "Sorry to disturb you. You can go back to sleep now."

Nightwalker patted Rachel's shoulder and backed away slowly. "Are you sure you're going to be fine?"

"I've seen visions like these often enough," Rachel replied. "There's nothing that can be done about it. I'll be fine."

Nightwalker nodded slowly, expression thoughtful. "Well, if it comes again, I'll just be next door."

"Thanks." As Nightwalker left and shut the door behind him quietly, Rachel lay down again and drifted off into a restless sort of sleep, determined to forget about the vision as if it had never existed.

* * *

"Concentrate, Rachel. I can feel your mind drifting again. Redo that."

With a tired sigh, Rachel exerted another burst of energy and lifted the rock upwards, though her mind was not in the training. Karzor gave the order to move, and Rachel struggled to levitate the rock in the required manoeuvre. The rock wobbled in mid-air, then came crashing down clumsily.

"Didn't sleep well last night, did you?" Karzor observed shrewdly.

"Not too well, truth be told."

"And why was that?"

"I saw Trigon in a vision again. And I saw myself standing in the middle of an isolated rock, watching as the world around me ended. I could do nothing about it. Trigon kept saying it was my destiny to do someday."

Karzor groaned aloud. "Trigon appearing in your vision again? This isn't good. When you first came here, I thought it would work out well if I placed a partial barrier around your mind to block it out for good. But I guess some techniques just don't work when it comes down to Trigon."

"Is there something else you can do about it?" Rachel pleaded.

"No. Not for something like this. I don't have the power to completely stop someone from seeing visions of the future. That would involve a tremendous amount of power and energy which I alone can't supply. Besides, doing that isn't always the wisest move. Sometimes, it's best to let those visions appear when they do. This may be something you have to live with until _that _day."

The air in the training room almost seemed to grow thicker and gloomier as Karzor said this. Rachel liked her dry lips and folded her arms over her chest defensively. Sensing the unpleasant atmosphere, Nightwalker quickly interrupted.

"Perhaps I can teach Rachel to do that move with the rock," he offered. "I think I have enough experience myself."

"Go ahead." Karzor beckoned Rachel forward with a sigh. "Remember to concentrate, Rachel. Don't let any circumstances steal your focus. You two train here for the time being. I'm going off to handle something else for a short while."

"I can _try _to concentrate, I suppose," Rachel replied through gritted teeth.

"Watch the movements carefully." Nightwalker moved the rock upwards and held it in position, nodding at Rachel.

Rachel nodded, and with a touch of defiance, she fiercely told herself that under no circumstances would she let her fear of her terrible visions rule her life.

Almost immediately, as if that had triggered off some sort of reaction I her mind, Rachel felt the air around her changing. She blinked, and then, in a flash, faster than anything she had ever seen, Trigon appeared right in front of her. Rachel's eyes doubled their size at once. This was not like any of the visions she had become accustomed to seeing. In those, she had been a mere observer, watching herself and Trigon from a distance. But this time, it was no mere vision. Trigon was there in the flesh!

"Rachel, what's up with you?" Nightwalker sighed. He was standing just several feet away from Rachel, yet he never blinked once at the sight of Trigon. It was Trigon who turned towards Rachel and smiled, a long, cold smile.

"Well, daughter, surprised to see me here?"

"You can't be here!" Rachel cried, with undisguised horror. "You can't! You're supposed to be…"

"Things change, daughter. Things _always _change."

"Rachel!" Nightwalker's tone was getting concerned now, as he stared at Rachel. "Are you?"

"He's here!" Rachel screamed. "Trigon's here! Stop him! Don't let him take over!"

"What?" Nightwalker stared blankly at Rachel before looking around. "What are you talking about? Are you having a hallucination or a vision? Rachel!"

Rachel backed away as Trigon stared her down with the most evil eyes she had ever seen. "He's here!" she screamed again. "You have to help me! Trigon's here! NIGHTWALKER!"

Seeing that this was beyond him, Nightwalker bolted out of the room, shouting for Karzor.

"There's no use, Rachel," Trigon smiled. "You cannot simply put me out of your mind by wanting it. No-one can. Now, come to me before I lose all my patience."

"I will not!" Rachel snapped, partially emboldened by the fact that Nightwalker had gone to get Karzor. "I refuse to have anything to do with you. Begone!"

"Who are you to tell me what I should be doing?" Trigon bellowed. "You are my daughter! I am your father, and I am _ordering _you to come to me and embrace what you cannot escape!"

"NO! I will NOT!" Rachel screamed in response. "I will never yield to you! Begone now, in the name of Azarath and all the powers of light! You are not welcome here, or in my mind! Leave!" Deep within her, a terrible desperation she had never felt before rose up, and she felt a tremendous power surging forth with a frightening strength. "Azarath Metrion ZINTHOS!"

"Rachel!" Karzor burst into the room at that moment with Nightwalker, and immediately jerked to a sudden stop as he saw the state Rachel was in. Next to him, Nightwalker sucked in his breath sharply, and demanded, "What's going on?"

Karzor was staring at Rachel with eyes larger than his plates at that moment. "She's going to unleash the full burst of her powers!"


	25. Light Energy

Rachel's body was transformed into a globe of white energy, light blazing forth with such intensity that Nightwalker was temporarily half-blinded. Wincing, he flung his hands up over his face, not quite daring to look straight at Rachel. But though his eyes might not see, his mind could still feel the effects. Energy was rising every moment, far more potent than anything he had ever felt.

And this time, it was different. No longer was it a blast of dark energy, the sort that Rachel expelled when her temper got the better of her. This time, it was more of a lighter, purer form of energy that didn't radiate evil and darkness. Though it was impressive, it was neither frightening nor threatening. Keeping his eyes shut, he shouted, "Karzor, what's this? What's she doing? What kind of energy is this?"

"Light energy." Karzor sounded more awed than nervous. Keeping his head half-turned away, he watched Rachel cautiously. In the midst of the white energy surrounding her, her dark, black-clad form was barely visible. The shape of raven wings was starting to sprout as well, larger than dragon's wings, and both Karzor and Nightwalker felt another vicious pulse of energy emerging.

"Now's not the time. We have to stop her before she takes this further," Karzor said sharply. "Nightwalker, talk to her in her mind. Tell her to stop this. Trigon is _not _here!" Squeezing his eyes shut, he pressed his fingers to his temple and projected his thoughts into Rachel's mind.

_Rachel, stop! Now's not the right time to unleash this power! _

_Karzor! Trigon's here! _

_He's not here! He's only in your mind. You have to listen to me now! Calm down, and stop that power. _

_Karzor's right. _This time, it was Nightwalker who spoke. _Rachel, you have to listen to us. Trigon is NOT here. It's just a mental projection of him. Let us help you. _

Rachel's powers wavered momentarily. Determined to see how strong Trigon's power was, Karzor pushed further into her mind, careful not to go too far.

_By all the powers of Azarath! _he thought. _It IS him! But how? How could he have entered Rachel's mind like this? _

Trigon turned to Karzor, and Karzor felt his gaze like stab from a sword. His heart gave a powerful lurch, but Karzor was determined not to let fear overpower him. Drawing back his shoulders, he gazed straight back at Trigon and addressed him coldly and calmly.

_You are not welcome here! _Karzor's mind screamed. _Begone, in the name of Azarath and the light! This is not your domain, and you will leave! _

_Oh, you poor little monk! _Trigon laughed. _How pathetic you and my daughter truly are! What makes you think talking to me like that can make me go? I am Rachel's father, and I have the right to lay claim to her. _

_No you don't! _Karzor roared. _You may have sired her, but you were never her father! Now, begone, before I loose the powers of Azarath fully on you! _

_And he will not be the only one doing that_! Rachel cried, no longer speaking aloud. _Get out of my mind! You are not welcome here! _

_Help me, Rachel. We can do this together. Remember, Trigon is only in your mind. Azarath Metrion ZINTHOS! _

Together, Karzor and Rachel drew in all of their strength and released a single pulse of mental energy towards Trigon, almost reeling from the force of it. Trigon screamed aloud and half-fell backwards, cursing aloud. The red light emanating from him dimmed to a pale, fuzzy shade and Karzor felt his presence dissipating slowly but surely.

_One more time, Rachel, and he'll be out for good! _

Rachel let out some sort of battle-cry and released a second blast of energy, just seconds before Karzor did. Trigon roared again and fell to his massive knees. For several seconds, he continued to glare at Rachel and Karzor with a death-glare, then he began to fade visibly. The last they heard of him was a warning that sounded like _I'll be back again! _and then he was gone altogether.

With a sigh of relief, Karzor retracted his mind from Rachel's and took a deep breath to stabilize his body and mind. Rachel groaned aloud and her body swayed. The white energy that had surrounded her earlier was already gone, with just several flickers of white light remaining. Her knees buckled, and Nightwalker immediately strode forward, gripping her arms with very firm hands. Rachel's eyes shut, and she went as limp as seaweed, slumping against Nightwalker. Made awkward by the sudden intimate contact, Nightwalker almost released her from the shock before he regained mastery over his senses and adjusted his arms over Rachel before she could crash to the ground. Holding her so closely like this sent an odd sense of protectiveness throughout him, but he had no time to dwell on it, as Karzor began to speak.

"Take her to her room and let her rest," Karzor instructed.

"And I'll get an explanation, hopefully?" Nightwalker said, as he lifted Rachel efficiently and headed to the door.

"Of course. I suppose I owe you one."

In completely silence, Nightwalker laid Rachel down on her bed and covered her with the blanket before retreating silently. Karzor waited outside Nightwalker's room, his expression neutral. With a nod, he gestured to Nightwalker to enter his room. Once they were both inside, Karzor shut the door before him and seated himself cross-legged.

"What was that all about?" Nightwalker asked outright, impatiently awaiting an answer.

"Light energy. It's a deeper and more mystical form of energy residing within Rachel. Frankly, I didn't think she would have been able to release it like that already." Karzor paused and shook his head. "That was not the right time to use _that _power. Not here."

Nightwalker narrowed his eyes slightly, his curiosity at its maximum level now. "How is it that she didn't destroy anything with that amount of power? And why was Trigon in her mind? How did he manifest himself like that?"

"One question at a time, please." Karzor seemed somewhat amused by Nightwalker's endless barrage of questions. "To answer your first one, Rachel _can't _use that sort of power to destroy anything. That sort of light energy isn't a destructive power; it's a purifying and cleansing sort of energy which only chases out dark energy without causing any destruction. But the problem about using it when there is no darkness is that it can upset the energy balance at times, especially in a dimension like this, which comprises of so much energy. That power should only be used when it's time for Rachel to face her father physically in the last battle. As to your questions about Trigon, I can't be too certain. Trigon is nothing if he is not unpredictable – and powerful. We can never really know for sure how he manifested himself so vividly in Rachel's mind without appearing in a vision. Alas, and I thought she would be safe from his influence here."

"Then, how can we stop him from doing this again?"

Karzor hesitated before answering this very important question. "Yes, I believe so," he replied slowly. "But that will involve something quite drastic, and I will not try it unless I have Rachel's consent."

"And what is that drastic step?" Nightwalker enquired.

"First, it will involve sealing off some of her powers, including that light energy, until the time comes for her to face Trigon on earth. And, unpleasant though this sounds, she will have to change her very identity."


	26. Becoming Raven

The soft sound of someone's voice calling her name lightly drifted into Rachel's ears. The voice was oddly familiar; it sounded like Nightwalker, his tone oddly indistinct and distant. Rachel tried to respond, but the only sound she could make was a faint groan. She was tired, so tired, and she didn't want to wake up from her state of half-unconsciousness. Perhaps if she slept a little longer…

Memory suddenly descended upon her like a lightning strike. Trigon had been there, right in front of her! Alarmed, Rachel tried to sit up urgently, only to feel strong hands pushing her back onto her bed.

"Relax, Rachel. Nothing's going on. You're safe now. Trigon was just a mental projection, not there physically."

_But, but…_Rachel spoke to Nightwalker mind-to-mind, for she couldn't trust her voice.

_Fear not. He's gone now. Karzor has taken care of him. Trigon won't be back for a long time. _Hesitating for a moment, Nightwalker laid his hand over Rachel's and gripped her fingers gently. _You just sleep now. _

_I don't want to lie here after what happened! _Rachel protested vehemently. _How can you ask me to do that? I need to…_

_Rachel, calm down. I'm here too. _This time, it was Karzor who spoke. As usual, he had entered the room in complete silence. _It's time we had a talk about this. When you've rested, I'll come back here and discuss a very important matter with you. _

_I can do it now. I'm not that tired anymore. It was more of shock that kept me here. _

_Very well, then. You'd better know now that there's no easy way around this. Are you ready to hear my solution? _

_After seeing Trigon in my mind like that, I'm ready to face almost anything. _

_If we're to stop Trigon from manifesting himself in your mind like that again, we'll have to change your identity. Nothing less than that. _

_What? Change my identity? How's that supposed to help? _As expected, Rachel was almost shocked into silence.

_Trigon managed to manifest himself in your mind because he somehow managed to get a get a lock on you. Your aura hasn't changed over the years, and that was what connected you to him. And so, I intend to seal away a good portion of your white energy and change your name. Here in Azarath, your name is almost part of your soul. Changing your name changes your very identity, even your aura. Tomorrow, I will perform the ceremony to seal away your white energy and give you a new name. Are you alright with that? _

_Is it necessary to have a ceremony just to change my name? _

_Oh, yes. Like I said, changing your name will change part of you. In Azarath, a name is more than just something to address a person with. Changing your name is not just a simple deal, and it's not something I'll do unless I have your consent. _

_What about the other thing you mentioned? Sealing away my white energy? _

_That was the energy you released when Trigon showed up in your mind. Do you remember what you did back then? _

_I remember releasing some energy, yes. _

_It was not just 'some' energy. That was white energy, the greatest form of energy that's ever existed. It's a purifying, cleansing type of power meant to devour darkness wherever it exists. It doesn't destroy, unlike dark energy, but it can upset the balance if there is no evil. The moment you released it was not the right moment for that sort of power to be utilized. For now, it's best to seal it away until the time of the final battle with Trigon. _

_If that's possible, could you also seal away part of my other powers? I've neve wished to live with so much energy within myself. Nightwalker said you did the same to him at one point. _

Karzor didn't seem surprised at this request at all. _I can, if you truly want that, but you have to remember that it's not something to be done lightly. Once I've sealed away your powers, they cannot be released so easily anymore. Are you willing to face danger with your powers so greatly diminished? This is not a decision to be made lightly. _

_I've already been thinking about this for quite some time. I'm only afraid of facing danger with too much power. _

_Then so be it. For now, you rest. Tomorrow, we'll conduct the ceremony on you. _

_

* * *

_

Rachel stood in the middle of the ceremony room the next afternoon and observed. This was not a room she knew had existed in Karzor's house. The walls and ceiling were snow-white, marked with several insignias in red and silver. The floor itself was wider than Rachel had expected, as white as the walls and ceiling, and complete with a complex pattern of red marks and lines. Right in the centre was some sort of levitating stool, surrounded by an intricate marking of circles on the ground. The aura in this place was oddly different from the others in the rest of the house; it felt almost majestic and powerful, with a deeper sense of mysticism beyond what anyone was capable of experiencing.

Well, this was it. There was no going back now. This was the day that Rachel would receive her new identity and have half her powers sealed off. This was the day she would almost become a different person altogether. She had already chosen a new name for herself, a name that she felt reflected her nature.

"Sit down on that stool there, in the middle," Karzor said.

Rachel crossed the room and seated herself on the stool, crossing her legs underneath. Further away, Karzor withdrew a small, glowing ball of silver that resembled a crystal orb and levitated it towards Rachel until it was directly above her head, bathing her in a luminous glow of silver. Karzor was already beginning to murmur an incantation, softly, as he slowly walked towards Rachel.

_Close your eyes and meditate. Keep your mind calm and open. Focus on nothing but yourself now. Blank out all other thoughts from your mind. _

Rachel rested her hands on her knees with he palms skywards, and shut her eyes, murmuring _Azarath Metrion Zinthos _over and over again, as she had been taught to do. A mild pulse of energy began to emerge from the silver orb above her head, gradually growing stronger and stronger. Near her, Karzor's aura began to alter. She heard him addressing her quietly, asking her a single question, and Rachel nodded in agreement, murmuring a response.

_We're starting now, _Karzor told her.

_I'm ready. _

Karzor laid a hand on Rachel's forehead, pressing two fingers against the middle, and began another incantation, his voice slightly louder this time. Rachel kept her breathing steady, bracing herself for whatever was to come. Karzor was no longer speaking English, but another ancient Azarathian tongue of which Rachel knew nothing. And yet, in this defining moment, Rachel realized that she still understood his words, nevertheless.

_Rachel, be you ready for this initiation into a new identity? If you have your doubts, say so now, for once this begins, you will have passed the point of no return. _

_Yes, I am ready. _

Karzor began chanting for the third time, in the same language. Slowly, he began to draw out Rachel's white energy, bit by bit. Rachel's eyes flashed white, and an eerie white glow illuminated her dark form. All the while, Karzor kept one hand on her forehead, while the other hand was occupied with streaming and directing out the energy.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Very carefully, for this was an extremely delicate operation, Karzor manipulated the white energy upwards, towards the glowing silver orb which was spinning slowly. The white energy gradually merged with the ball, and Karzor skilfully ensured that the sealing energy within the crystal completely surrounded Rachel's energy, making it inaccessible. Taking his time, Karzor kept up the process, drawing away almost all of Rachel's light energy upwards into the crystal orb until he felt satisfied with the results.

_Rachel, your light energy is already sealed off. Now I just have to seal off part of your remaining powers. _Karzor waited for several more moments, letting the white energy settle, before he got down to business again, this time drawing out a generous portion of Rachel's darker energy. Rachel's breath quickened, but she gave no other indication of emotion. Increasing his concentration, for the process was becoming increasingly delicate, Karzor cautiously sealed off the white energy in one area of the crystal, using the orb's present energy to form an unbreakable barrier, before drawing Rachel's dark energy into the remaining part of the ball, ensuring that it did not merge with the white energy. He could already feel the change within Rachel; she no longer exuded the old, farmiliar aura of darkness and terrible, raging power. Not wishing to deprive her of too much power, he ended the process, ensured that her energies were well sealed-off in the crystal orb, and laid his free hand on the orb, drawing it downwards inch by inch.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" This time, Karzor gently held the orb against Rachel's forehead, all the while changing softly in an ancient tongue. Rachel felt a small burst of energy there, and then, unseen to her, the orb shrank while a shade of dark red took over its previous silver colour. A brilliant flash of red and silver light burst forth for several moments, then the light dissipated to reveal a small red diamond permanently fixed on Rachel's forehead.

_Now, to change your name. _Karzor waited patiently for the energy to settle before proceeding to the next step. With a small knife, he gently cut Rachel on the thumb to draw several drops of blood and smeared them lightly on her forehead to form a small insignia. Having been informed of this beforehand, Rachel never flinched once, even when the blade broke her skin.

Karzor began to chant yet again, his voice so soft that Rachel could scarcely hear him at all. Now and then, she heard the name Rachel Roth being mentioned, along with the new name she had chosen. She could feel her internal energy swirling and changing inside, but there was nothing frightening or even uncomfortable about this. For fifteen more minutes, this went on, with Karzor constantly chanting and doing his business. Then, faster than Rachel had expected, it was over. She felt all the energies settling down, resuming their original state, and then Karzor took her arm and helped her to her feet.

_It's over. And everything has worked out fine. How do you feel? _

"Strange, actually." Rachel spoke aloud as she turned her hands over, examining them. "It's like I'm the same person, and yet, there's something different as well. And I can feel a great deal of energy gone from me!"

"Good. It's as it should be." In the solemnest of voices, Karzor laid a hand on Rachel's head and addressed her gravely.

"Remember, from now on, you are no longer Rachel Roth. Henceforth, you shall be known as Raven."

**Just to let you know, this definitely didn't take place in the TV series. It's my own idea of how Rachel became Raven and how she got that red diamond on her forehead. **


	27. Invisible String

_**~Nearly a year later~**_

"Good work, Raven."

Raven nodded at Clelo as she carefully relaxed her mind, dispelling the technique she had just been using. As it had turned out, Clelo's mental abilities surpassed even that of Karzor's. It was she who had been training Raven to utilize her mental powers to the maximum, teaching her a surprisingly wide range of empathy and telepathy-based techniques.

"Good," Clelo repeated. "You've a real talent for this. You've got a good, sensitive and open mind, as it should be."

"But not as sensitive as it once was, before Karzor sealed away my powers."

"The trick is to find your balance," Clelo said gravely. "That's something we've tried to teach all our apprentices here. And finding your balance means staying in the middle, tilting neither too far on one end."

Raven nodded, having heard this many times before. "Too sensitive a mind would mean that I'd be constantly sensing and feeling absolutely everything around me," she said. "And having too closed-up a mind would make me too impervious."

"Correct. And it's safe to say that you've found your balance already, as far as I can see."

"Karzor taught me well."

"And you learned well," Clelo smiled. "Clearly, it's been a mixture of both. Now, let's do this one more time."

Obediently, Raven closed her eyes and resumed her meditative position, waiting for Clelo to give the signal. When it came, Raven responded appropriately at top speed, barely even having to think about it. She had trained for this so many times that it was almost like second nature to her.

Raven was halfway through when she detected someone's presence entering the room: Nightwalker. Raven ignored him and went on, blocking out her ears as Clelo and Nightwalker began a quick conversation in quiet, subdued tones. For several more moments, Clelo and Nightwalker went on in that manner, then Nightwalker excused himself and left.

Clelo remained silent as Raven completed the rest of the training easily. Unseen to Raven, Clelo smiled, her eyes holding a strangely far-away and dreamy look. Raven was no longer the young, innocent girl she had once been, Clelo thought. In some ways, she was already a woman, though she was still a teenager. The terrible knowledge of her eventual fate that Raven bore had long woken her to the harsh realities of life, which had not been so kind to her. Soon, all too soon, it would be time for her to move on again and do what she must. Clelo would miss her, but she knew such things were always meant to be.

"What's wrong?" Raven unexpectedly voiced out, breaking the peaceful silence. "I can feel your emotions so strongly. Why are you so melancholic?"

"It's nothing," Clelo replied, in a tone that forbid Raven from asking her further questions. "Nightwalker was here just now. He said Karzor wants to talk to you soon."

"Did he say about what?"

"No, but it's certainly related to your training." Here, Clelo paused and frowned, pressing her fingers to her forehead as if it hurt.

"Is something wrong?"

Clelo shook her head slowly. "_Wrong _isn't the word I would use. It's just that every time I see Nightwalker, I can't stop myself from…seeing things."

"Things?" Raven echoed.

"Indeed. Every time you two are close enough, I see some sort of string tied to you two, binding you together." Clelo opened her eyes and stretched her lips into a thin line. "It's a little hard to say how I know, but I'm always getting the impression that that mysterious string is unbreakable. It's as if you two are bound together by something beyond our sight."

Raven hardly knew how to respond to this. "A string binding me to Nightwalker?" she muttered. "What can I say but…weird?"

"Weird?" Clelo tilted her head slightly, eyeing Raven. "Oh, no. This is nothing odd at all. On the other hand, it's very consistent with what Karzor and I have seen."

Raven almost rolled her eyes. During the past year, Karzor had already made countless references to her and Nightwalker being together one way or the other. Not once had Karzor bothered to tell Raven what he truly meant by that, and it was not something Raven could ask Nightwalker outright. Knowing this to be Clelo's first time mentioned this topic, Raven decided that she might be more informative and asked, "Are you going to tell me what that means?"

"I think Karzor has already mentioned this to you many times," Clelo replied. "There's nothing more to be said about it. All I can tell you is that you and Nightwalker are bound together, whether you want it or not. I can say with almost complete certainty that your fate and his are tied up together."

If Raven wasn't so emotionless, she would have blushed. As it was, she could already feel heat rushing up to her face. With some difficulty, she fought back her feelings and replied, "I don't think that's it. Nightwalker is my friend and comrade, yes, but we're not like _that_. You and Karzor seem to be suggesting that we're meant to almost…be together. In a non-friendship kind of way."

"And how do you know that's not what will happen someday?" Clelo returned.

This already sounded like a prophecy to Raven. "I'm not capable of feeling such strong emotions," Raven replied forthrightly. "Nightwalker and I don't share the kind of bond you and Karzor seem to think we do. That's something that goes far deeper than any friendship, and Nightwalker and I will never be more than friends."

"So you think," Clelo replied, so softly that it seemed she hadn't intended for Raven to hear this.

Exasperated by the too-many references to this awkward topic, Raven hastily made an effort to steer their conversation in a new direction. "I think I'd better go and see what Karzor wants with me," she said politely.

Clelo nodded her agreement. "I believe he intends to give you and Nightwalker a test."

"Test?" Raven said, sounding mildly puzzled.

"Karzor and I need a way of determining how far you and Nightwalker have progressed," Clelo pointed out. "And giving you a test is the easiest way to do so. Nightwalker has done it many times before, so feel free to ask him about it."

There it was again, yet another reference to Nightwalker, as if he was the answer to everything in Azarath. Excusing herself, Raven made a quick but unrushed exit from the room.

Against her will, Raven found herself thinking back to Clelo's enigmatic words. An invisible string binding her to Nightwalker…was Clelo simply seeing something she believed ought to exist? Or did she really see it? After all, Clelo's skills as a seer were unparalleled in all of Azarath, and she had never once delivered a false prophecy.

"Weirder and weirder," Raven muttered to herself. She saw no reason whatsoever as to why she and Nightwalker should be closely bound to each other, if Clelo was to be believed. Undeniably, they had become very close friends who trusted each other fully, but their friendship had been one born of a mutual understanding of each other and so much time spent together. There was no romantic or unusually deep aspect to it, and Raven was determined to keep it that way.

On the way to Karzor's room, she spotted Nightwalker again. He was leaning against the wall quietly, his head tilted back slightly. He cast a glance in Raven's direction, and as usual, he gave her a single nod in acknowledgement of her presence; he was not one given to smiling or laughing. In that sense, he was just like Raven: sombre and grave. His eyes were calm and emotionless as ever, and Raven found that she could take some comfort in that. Clelo and Karzor must have made a mistake somewhere along the way, she decided there and then. The 'bond' that she and Nightwalker said they shared didn't exist, and probably never would. How could it, after all, when both of them had learned so long ago to shield themselves against any softness?


	28. Discussing the Future

"Clelo said you intend to give me and Nightwalker a test. Is that true?"

Karzor removed his gaze from the parchment he was studying intently and looked up at Raven. "Clelo told you the truth," he replied. "You've been training here for a full year already, and I think it's time I see how well you can perform under stress. Next week, you and Nightwalker will show me a demonstration of all your skills in an obstacle course. If I think you two are ready enough, then I will let you know that you two are ready to move on."

"Move on?" Raven said blankly. "To what, exactly?"

Karzor put the parchment away and gestured to Raven to move closer to him. "Clelo and I believe it's not wise for you and Nightwalker to stay here indefinitely, for the rest of your lives," he replied quietly. "Azarath will always be a refuge and shelter for you two, but it should not be your permanent home. There is nothing truly meaningful for you to do here. Azarath is a pacifist dimension, where peace and order are constantly maintained. But we cannot say the same of earth. And a world like earth needs people like you and Nightwalker. Nightwalker has already agreed long ago to return to earth after his training."

"Is this an order on your part?"

"Of course not. I'm your mentor and friend, not your father. What you do is ultimately your choice, not mine."

Raven sighed and tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "In this matter, there's no need to really ponder about a choice," she said. "Circumstances dictate that I should return there and finish what I've always wanted to do: fight for justice. And my perspective has changed this past year. Once, I was afraid of myself, and too scared to use my powers to the full, lest I unleash disaster. But now…" she paused and looked down at her pale-skinned hands, "I know that things have changed. If I have to use my full powers when fighting, so be it. I think I'm ready for it."

"You are, indeed. And Nightwalker knows that, too."

"Nightwalker?"

"He's no blind fool, you know," Karzor replied, looking somewhat amused. "He sees more than most people do, and he's an experienced fighter. He himself has said many times that you would be his most formidable opponent in battle."

"I'm really not too sure about that," Raven muttered.

"Well, that doesn't matter. The important thing is that you and him rely on each other when the times come. Never forget that earth is nothing like Azarath. But then, you're the last person to be unaware of that."

"So, after the test, me and Nightwalker will leave?"

"If that's your wish, yes. You're free to go whenever you wish, once you've passed the test. Perhaps you would like to discuss this with Nightwalker? I just had this conversation with him minutes ago."

"Alright. Excuse me, then."

* * *

Raven found Nightwalker meditating in his room, his eyes and mind shut to the world. She waited by the door, not wanting to disturb him. However, he was alerted to her presence in seconds, his head turning towards her while his eyes opened.

"You need to talk to me?"

"If I'm not disturbing you, then yes."

Nightwalker inclined his head to show his agreement.

"Karzor said it's almost time for us to leave Azarath for good," Raven said quietly. "And he said you're willing to do so." She ended her words here and let Nightwalker speak up.

"Yes. That's true. It was never in my intention to remain in Azarath permanently, anyway. And you?"

"Well, if you want to know the truth, I was never too keen on returning to earth to begin with. But things have changed. Karzor and Clelo have taught me well, and I know I can control all my powers now. Azarath is a pacifist dimension; it has no need for people like me. There's not much to keep me here."

Nightwalker nodded as if he already knew Raven's answer even before she said it.

"So…when we return to earth, where are we going to stay?"

"I can make a stone shelter wherever we are, as long as there's enough material for it," Nightwalker replied. "That's what I did the last time I was there. I've never cared much for luxurious houses." He raised his eyebrows as he looked at Raven. "Hopefully you're not going to want some hotel-like mansion to live in?"

"Ha ha." Raven's voice remained flat as she rolled her eyes. "Since when did I say I wanted to return to earth to enjoy being pampered? I'm a crime fighter, not some wealthy heiress!"

"That would make things a lot easier for me," Nightwalker said, and though he sounded serious as usual, Raven got the impression that he was making a half-hearted attempt to joke.

"So, I'm assuming we two are going to stick together the whole time?"

"What else?" Nightwalker replied, raising his eyes. "I'm sure Karzor said we have to rely on each other there. Not unless you prefer to work solo, that is."

"Since when did I say that?" Raven retorted.

"It's all settled, then," Nightwalker said. "As for food and supplies, don't you worry. There are ways of procuring them without being dishonest. You can leave that to me."

Raven didn't even bother to ask him by what methods did he do that; she knew Nightwalker well enough to know that he was as honest as he was cunning.

Somewhat tentatively, Nightwalker extended a hand towards Raven. "So, we both know what we need to do, then? Handshake?"

Raven's brows arched as she glanced as Nightwalker's hand. "OK…" She gripped his fingers and obligingly shook his hand. Keeping her head movements subtle, she tried to look around for the string binding her to Nightwalker that Clelo said existed. But she saw nothing. Was Clelo the only one who could see the string, or was it because the string only appeared in a vision-like form?

"Uh, Raven…"

"Oh." Raven realized she was still holding Nightwalker's hand, and hastily released it, berating herself for her stupidity. "Sorry."

Nightwalker's eyes suggested he knew more or less what Raven might be thinking, but he said nothing about it. "Well, now that we've settled our future plans, why don't we go train for the test?"


	29. Test

_**~A week later~**_

"Raven, it's your turn now."

Raven took a deep breath and moved to stand by the starting-point. Nightwalker had just finished his turn, and of course, as expected, he had passed the test without any difficulty whatsoever. For the past half-hour, Raven and Karzor had watched as Nightwalker gracefully put all his skills into good use, using a combination of all the elements to bypass all the obstacles. When she had been an X-Man, Raven had become accustomed to doing a number of obstacle tests, but they had been nothing like the one she was about to face. In Azarath, it seemed that all the obstacles were solids composed of pure energy hardened by the skilful monks, and could appear out of nowhere.

_Don't think too hard, _Nightwalker said telepathically. _Just react as you always do. It's been designed to resemble a real-life fight. Good luck. _

_Thanks. _Raven licked her lips and moved her arms and legs into a fighting stance, as Karzor had taught her to do. Karzor raised his hand and moved his fingers smoothly, and Raven felt a drastic increase in the energy around her. Translucent shapes rose around her, taking on the shapes of people with blank, empty eyes. More shapes rose after that, forming what seemed like very large, dangerous objects one might see out in the streets. Everything seemed different from what Nightwalker had faced earlier, and Raven almost smiled. Of course, Karzor wouldn't give them exactly the same test at different times, so neither of them would be at an advantage over the other.

The tallest man-shaped being extended a hand towards Raven slowly, as if deciding whether to attack her or not. Raven kept her head turned from side to side, watching and listening. As her eyes flickered to the left, she saw a box-shaped figure being levitated upwards, moving towards her.

Raven reacted immediately, using her telekinesis to halt the attack. As she did so, the other figures leaped into action in unison, lifting up the other objects and hurling them towards her. Raven's arms began to swing and move around at top speed as well, moving the objects away from her. Occupied with guarding her front and sides, she didn't appear to take not of her back.

Without warning, a large, cube-shaped object came flying towards Raven's back in complete silence. Karzor and Nightwalker said nothing, merely watched her with a critical eye as she thrust her hand outwards, stopping another object. The object came within inches of her shoulder blades…

At the very last moment, Raven spun round and ducked neatly, letting the object fly past her. Karzor nodded with approval, and Nightwalker seemed to be almost smiling. The object came back towards Raven, joined by several others, but Raven was prepared for the new onslaught, and flung up an energy shield in front of herself, before flying to her right, keeping a safe distance from the energy beings.

"She's good," Nightwalker said quietly, watching as Raven continued to fly and block of all the energy missiles, her teeth gritted with concentration.

"She's always been good," Karzor agreed.

Eventually, Raven began to relax more, and even found herself enjoying the test. It was almost like the old days, she thought, when she had to fight like this all the time against some criminal in the city. Her old instincts kicked in, and she let herself forget that she was fighting to pass a test, not to eliminate evil.

All too soon, the barrage of missiles halted. Raven breathed deeply and mentally braced herself, expecting to face the unexpected. The energy figures were somewhat still now, as if sizing up the situation. Karzor smiled secretly.

Without warning, the energy figures suddenly dissipated and vanished like mist. Raven narrowed her eyes suspiciously, knowing the test was not over yet. She could still feel the energy pulsing somewhere near.

It happened so fast that there was almost zero time to react. A burst of whitish energy erupted near Raven, assuming the shape of a huge man, and Raven instinctively fell back, arms out. The figure moved towards her, blurry arms moving, and Raven felt all her close combat techniques coming back to her. Reacting to the situation, she began a series of martial arts moves, utilizing both arms and legs. Though her opponent was made of energy, it felt surprisingly solid, as if it were a real man.

As Raven took it down at last, more human-like figures materialized, going for her before she had time to rest. Raven automatically made a sweeping motion with her hand, knocking them away with a furious blast of telekinetic energy. Their bodies seemed to melt, then reformed, slowly.

Raven took advantage of the slowness to launch her next attack, delivering a second blast of black energy. Not giving them time to recover again, Raven followed up her initial attack by levitating a bunch of energy objects towards them, putting as much force into it as she could. Their bodies kept taking back their original shape, but at least Raven had enough time to quickly think up a solution. With one hand, she sent a row of objects flying at them, and as the shapes of the figures partially dissipated again, Raven injected them all with a subtler blast of energy, letting it explode inside the figures. White and black light sprayed liberally over everyone, and Raven watched with a sense of satisfaction as the energy figures did not reform this time.

_Now, to tackle the last few! _

As if they had heard her thoughts, the remaining energy figures stretched out their arms and formed what seemed like guns. Raven's eyebrows arched at the sight. Talk about realistic, she thought. It did seem that Karzor was not unaware of weapons used on earth.

Energy bullets suddenly flew forth from the guns, nearly pelting Raven. Just in time, she managed to fling up an energy shield. She thought she could hear the "bullets" bouncing off her shield, as if they were real and solid, not just energy fragments.

Raven waited patiently until the hail of bullets stopped before dispelling her shield, cautiously. Not wishing to go into defence mode indefinitely, Raven made her move before they did, hacking the guns into fragments with her telekinetic energy.

The fight went on for another half an hour or so, Nightwalker and Karzor observing Raven's every move. Karzor was almost smiling, and Nightwalker often nodded whenever Raven did a particularly effective move. Raven was tireless, and moving just as gracefully as she had when the test had first begun.

"Alright. I've seen enough for today," Karzor said. "I think it's time I call it off. Raven, you can stop now!"

Raven was a little slow to react to this, and hesitated.

Karzor raised his right arm in the air, and Raven remembered that this was the sign that Karzor said he would give her when the test was ended. With a soft sigh, she cut off the attack she had been about to use, and relaxed.

"Excellent work." Karzor gave his fingers a flick and the energy figures faded away, vanishing as if they had never existed at all. "You've passed, of course."

Raven nodded, but she didn't fail to notice the expression Karzor wore on his face, the look of someone who was still mischievously waiting to say something else.

"But, there's something else I have to do first?" Raven guessed dryly.

"Correct." Karzor was smiling slightly now. "Fighting those energy figures is _very _different from fighting an actual person. And so, you and Nightwalker will now face each other in combat."


	30. Combat Against a Comrade

"Here, you two. Put these on." Karzor handed Raven and Nightwalker a small red gem set on the end of a gold chain each. "Just slip them around your neck. You'll need them."

"And what are these?" Raven asked curiously.

"An energy meter, you could say. Each time you land a hit on your opponent, this will register the blow and convert it to energy. When the match is over, I'll analyse them to see how much energy has been stored. The person with the lower amount of energy wins. Get it?"

"Simple enough," Raven shrugged.

"Alright. Get into position, you two, and let the match begin. Remember, don't hold back; nothing you do against each other can hurt either of you. The match ends when I raised my right hand, or when one of you decides to give up."

Raven and Nightwalker nodded and moved into position, opposite each other in the arena. Karzor had coated both of them with a special energy shield that would protect them from each other's attacks, thus eliminating any chance of serious injuries for either of them. Raven and Nightwalker already had 'the look' in their eyes, both of them fully ready for a showdown.

"Let the match begin!"

Raven and Nightwalker did not attack immediately, but kept a safe distance from each other, eyes analysing every movement. Near Nightwalker stood several buckets of metal and water for him to use. Raven herself had been provided with several other large objects near her. Her dark eyes were narrowed, constantly fixed on Nightwalker.

In the blink of an eye, Nightwalker made the first move, forming a stream of water into a whip and directing it towards Raven, knowing that manipulating water was a huge weakness of hers. Raven reacted just as quickly as he had moved, using a tactic Nightwalker had taught her to block the water stream, making it splash limply onto the floor. Several cool drops of liquid splashed onto her legs. Nightwalker did not hesitate, but immediately drew out another stream of water, sucking up some vapour from the air as well to produce a much larger water whip.

Raven automatically flung up a shield around herself, before remembering that Nightwalker had control over the earth as well. Feeling some vibrations beneath her feet, she hastily took off into mid-air, maintaining the shield around herself before levitating a chair upwards, hurling it towards Nightwalker.

Nightwalker responded by forcing up an earth wall in front of him, sustaining it while he used his telepathy to sense Raven's presence. He could feel her getting closer and closer now, perhaps intending to phase through the earth wall to land another attack on him. Anticipating her move by sensing her aura, Nightwalker waited until he thought Raven was close enough, and then he thrust his hands forward, making the earth wall hurtle towards Raven.

Accustomed to expecting the unexpected, Raven surrounded herself in a shroud of dark energy and used it to phase herself right through the earth wall. Nightwalker's eyes took in the scene with a single glance, and he quickly flew sideways as he saw Raven preparing for another attack on him. A very large chair was starting to move upwards, surrounded by Raven's telekinetic energy. Nightwalker promptly made a quick, swirling motion with his hands, keeping the movement hidden, and a sudden blast of air projected itself towards Raven, striking her on the chest. The chill and force of the air took her by surprise, and she groaned inwardly, annoyed to be the first one to have taken a blow.

Determined not to emerge the loser, Raven moved forward again once the attack had abated, and levitated several chairs upwards at the same time, hurling them towards Nightwalker one by one. Unable to manipulate wood, Nightwalker transformed some water into a stream of multi-whips, and deftly sliced through the chairs one by one, sending bits of wood flying all over. Raven did not cease her attack, but levitated those chips of wood towards him like missiles, at the same time secretly moving a rock into position behind him. Nightwalker kept himself busy with blocking off the barrage of wood missiles, and Raven, deciding that this was her opportunity, sent the rock behind him flying towards its target.

Sensing the rock behind him, Nightwalker whirled around and halted it in mid-air, directing it towards Raven. Raven stopped it in seconds and sent it back towards Nightwalker. Thinking quickly, he cleaved it into smaller stones and kept them whirling in mid-air, trying to confuse Raven.

But Raven was not fooled so easily. Before Nightwalker could attack, she blasted the large stones to pieces with a ferocious burst of energy, and directed a cloak of darkness upwards, attempting to cloud his vision. Nightwalker reacted by using his own abilities to clear the darkness away, before manipulating a metallic sheet nearby into hard, round spheres.

Noticing the way his eyes flickered towards the metal sheets, Raven blocked them with a telekinetic shield and released an almighty blast of energy from her hands, giving Nightwalker no time to react. She heard him grunt as her attack struck him, and if he had been an enemy, she would have almost smiled.

"You got me there," Nightwalker admitted, straightening himself in a flash before beginning his next move, directing another blast of air currents towards Raven, as hard and quickly as he could. But Raven was prepared for it, and morphed into a raven, easily dodging the blasts of air. Nightwalker tried to concentrate on manipulating the air currents around her, but Raven was flying around so swiftly that he could barely focus a direct attack on her. She was now hurtling towards him, and Nightwalker had no choice but to make his move first, flying upwards and sideways.

Raven made a last bold charge towards him before suddenly changing directions sharply, angling upwards towards the ceiling. Nightwalker glanced up, and before he had time to guess what Raven was about to do, Raven teleported downwards, resuming her human form in the blink of an eye. Arms and legs out, she used a useful close combat move she had once learned to strike Nightwalker sharply. Nightwalker plummeted downwards, but neatly curved upwards at the last minute, using his hand to send a sharp-edged rocky pillar towards Raven. The dagger-like edge just clipped Raven on the arm, and Raven silently thanked Karzor for putting up a shield around them. That edge, she realized, could have easily sliced her arm otherwise.

Raven lunged towards Nightwalker, deciding that close combat might be to her advantage, and Nightwalker, correctly anticipating her plan, hastily coated his arms in metal like an arm-guard, flying backwards several feet before landing on the ground, arms out and ready. Raven angled towards him, and the duo begin a fierce hand-to-hand battle, Nightwalker fighting back as hard as he could and wishing he had taken more lessons in close combat. Raven was indeed an expert, and showed him no mercy as she continued to pummel him, forcing him backwards. A metallic sound continued to clang sharply each time Raven landed a blow on Nightwalker's arm, but she seemed to feel no pain. Nightwalker retreated slightly again, unable to even use an earth attack, so intense was the battle.

With a ferocious cry of HIYAH, Raven swung her arm backwards as Nightwalker reeled and gave him a punch that would certainly have knocked him unconscious if it weren't for the shield Karzor had placed on them. Nightwalker felt no pain, but he did feel the air rushing out of his lungs in a tremendous _whoosh _as he staggered backwards. Realizing belatedly that hand-to-hand combat with Raven was of no advantage to him, he took flight as Raven launched herself forward again, her deadly arm drawn back for another strike. Flying right over her head, Nightwalker forced up an earth pillar beneath Raven's feet, but Raven must have sensed his intentions, for she drove a foot downwards with full force, projecting a powerful wave of energy into the ground that immediately shattered what had been the beginning of a rising earth pillar.

_She's too good! _Nightwalker thought to himself quickly. _Looks like I'll have to give lightning and fire attacks a go now! _

Raven's head moved sharply as Nightwalker sent a barrage of fireballs downwards. Heat rose up strongly enough to make Raven sweat as the inferno rained down on her. She rolled away before the fireballs could hit her, but Nightwalker kept up the attack at full force. Wincing, Raven immediately flung up a shield above her head, casting a glance at the water bucket. Well, water certainly wasn't her strength, but it would serve her well now. Summoning up all the techniques Nightwalker had once taught her, Raven directed the water upwards, letting some splash onto the floor, and streamed it towards Nightwalker.

Without too much effort, Nightwalker blocked the attack, his eyes flashing brightly as a sudden idea entered his quick-thinking mind. His attack of fireballs ceased altogether, and Raven tensed, sensing the sudden excitement in him.

Arms outstretched at his sides, Nightwalker drew every drop of water in the room and air towards him, using a high-level technique had learned to amplify the amount of water, forming it into a gigantic water-wall, swirling around him like a mini tsunami. Karzor looked nothing less than impressed, and Raven narrowed her eyes, analysing the situation at top speed. She knew water had always been Nightwalker's forte, and with that sort of move, he would be almost unstoppable.

Nightwalker thrust his arms forward, teeth clenched with concentration, and all the water gushed forward with full force, threatening to flood the entire house. Common sense would have told anyone else to run, but Raven was not anyone. Standing her ground like a rock, she formed a spherical-shaped shield and braced herself for the onslaught.

Water lifted up the sphere shield with Raven inside as if it were a toy, and Raven felt herself bobbing up and down in time with the waves. Nightwalker took in her situation with a single glance, and Raven put more force into the shield as Nightwalker went on the offensive again, turning some of the water into hand-shaped whips, using them to pound furiously on Raven's shield. The force was beyond anything Raven thought he was capable of, and she grimaced as she struggled to maintain the shield. Her heart was beating thrice as fast; this felt more like a real battle with a real enemy than a test combat against a friend.

_Think, think! _

Another water-hand pounded against Raven's shield, and she felt her defence starting to give way. Nightwalker kept up the attack mercilessly, barely giving Raven any time to breathe. Raven held out one last time as Nightwalker delivered another blow that nearly sent her reeling backwards, then she dissipated the shield, deliberately putting on the look of someone defeated.

Nightwalker produced another high wave in the water, intending to sweep Raven away, but Raven was too quick, and transformed again, flying out of harm's way. Intangible in this form, she calmly flew downwards into the water and zoomed straight towards Nightwalker underwater.

Sensing her coming closer, Nightwalker parted the water and moved backwards, frantically trying to think of a way to stop Raven. However, quickly as he tried to react, Raven was even quicker, and flew over his head before resuming her real form, kicking Nightwalker in the back. Nightwalker staggered forward, and Raven spun around to gain more momentum before landing her next blow. The force of it sent him toppling towards the ground; just in time, he managed to cushion himself with water, hastily sending several water whips towards Raven at top speed.

Karzor smiled at the side and leaned against the wall, watching closely as Raven and Nightwalker continued to exchange blow after blow. Anyone could have easily mistaken them for bitter enemies, fighting to the death. Nightwalker had abandoned his water attacks, and was now resorting to using lightning instead, sending flashes of brilliant blue light sparking in the air. Raven, in turn, continued to frustrate Nightwalker with her quick defences, looking just as frustrated as him as she failed to land the desired amount of blows on him.

In this manner, they fought on for another hour or so, until they were both sweating and gasping. Both of them were wet from the water Nightwalker had used, and covered with bits of metal, earth and wood as well. They now exchanged several more vicious blows in a hand-to-hand match, and Karzor finally decided to end the match there before the pair collapsed from exhaustion.

"Well done, both of you." Karzor smiled with amusement and approval as the two fighters finally relaxed and slowly plodded towards him, wiping moisture and hair away from their faces. "I admit I never thought you two would take it so far in a mock battle."

"You _did _tell us not to hold back," Nightwalker replied dryly.

"And neither of you did. Hand me those necklaces, and I'll see who the winner is."

Breathing hard, still sweating, Raven and Nightwalker obligingly removed the devices around their necks and dropped them into Karzor's hand.

"Hmmm." Razor's face was the picture of perfect concentration as he passed his long fingers over the necklaces one at a time, focusing on the energy in them. He took his time doing so, as if undecided, and Raven and Nightwalker sighed in unison.

"Are you going to tell us the outcome yet?" Raven enquired calmly.

"Well, now I can." Karzor tucked the two devices into his belt and smiled at his two pupils slowly. "Congratulations, you two. You both have landed an equal number of blows on each other. Neither of you has won nor lost."

Raven and Nightwalker cast each other a look of triumph, almost smiling as Nightwalker grasped Raven's hand in his and shook it.

Karzor took a step forward and solemnly laid his hand on their shoulders, his eyes sparkling with pride. "And now, I can say for sure that you two are ready to return to earth and become the justice-fighters you were always meant to be."


	31. Back to Earth

Raven stood alone in her room for the last time, looking round at the bed, mirror, chair and table that had become so familiar to her. She could hardly believe that it had been a whole year since she had come to Azarath for her training. She knew she ought to feel some sort of positive emotion about returning to earth – perhaps some excitement, or a sense of anticipation, but she felt nothing of the sort, only a dull, blank sense of change. She wasn't too sure whether it was due to her emotion-controlling sessions with Clelo and Karzor, or whether it was because she could summon no joy at the thought of having to leave the place that had become a home and haven to her.

"Well, I suppose it's time to say goodbye," Raven muttered in an emotionless, dry tone as she looked round for a final time before leaving, quietly closing the door behind her, her pack slung over her shoulders.

Nightwalker was waiting for her near the hall, a small bag strapped to his own back. He raised his eyes in her direction as she approached, and Raven thought she felt a small flicker of heaviness. It was gone so quickly that it was barely noticeable, but it was enough to convince her that she was not the only one who found the parting-to-be harder than it should be.

"Ready?" Nightwalker asked quietly.

Raven nodded in response, and they went into the hall to bid farewell to Karzor, who had cleared up the entire area to make opening the dimensional door easier. In the traditional style of Azarath, Raven and Nightwalker moved to stand before Karzor in silence before bowing in unison, one hand across their chest. Karzor murmured the appropriate response, and Nightwalker and Raven straightened themselves.

"Never forget everything I've taught you," Karzor said gravely, laying his hands on his pupil's shoulders. "A time will come when you will need to remember all the lessons I've imparted to you. Stay true to yourselves, and to each other. There will be times when you two struggle with the darkness of your pasts, but I believe you have the strength to overcome that. The light is strong in you two, and I know you will never give in to the temptation of the dark side. And, above all, follow your heart, and remember that with your great power comes a great responsibility to use them only for the greater good. Azarath will always be a haven for you two, and me and Clelo will always be in your mind to guide you when you need us."

"Thank you for everything, master." Raven bowed again, and this time, Karzor raised her up and hugged her tightly, as if he were her father and not her mentor.

"Keep an eye on her, Nightwalker." Karzor released Raven and turned to his other pupil. "And never forget that when anger overcomes you, seek justice, not revenge. Revenge begets more revenge; only justice will bring peace."

"Thank you, master." Nightwalker's eyes had taken on a far-away look as Karzor said that to him, but no other emotion showed on his face as he returned Karzor's hug.

"Goodbye, you two." Clelo appeared at the last moment, materializing herself so quickly that neither Raven nor Nightwalker had time to notice her arrival. Her face was very grave, with a faint twinge of sadness. Extending her arms, she engulfed Raven and Nightwalker in a long, motherly hug. "I hope you two will return someday. Remember everything that Karzor and I have taught you, and always stick to what is good and true. And never be ashamed to rely on each other. Earth is a harsh world, and I would not see you two suffering as a result of self-pride and arrogance. _Azarath nozona dai."_

"Thank you, priestess." Raven and Nightwalker bowed again, hands on their heart. "We'll never forget you."

Clelo smiled slightly as Raven and her companion begin to retreat, ready to go through the dimensional door when it was opened. "Your mothers would have been so proud of you two," she said. "I know that for a fact. Now, go safely, and farewell."

"Goodbye. Thank you again for everything you've done for us." Nightwalker and Raven raised their hands in farewell, and Karzor extended his palms forward, murmuring a familiar incantation, and a void opened before their eyes, glowing white and pale blue.

Casting a final look behind at Clelo and Karzor, Raven and Nightwalker stepped through the dimensional door together and were soon lost from sight and out of Azarath.

The ground finally showed itself beneath Raven and Nightwalker's feet. The pair landed on the earth with knees bent, and took a good look around them. If they had any doubts about being back on earth, they were all gone now. The generous amount of grass, soil and greeneries provided good enough proof that Azarath was no longer where they were.

* * *

"This would be a good place to 'camp out', I think," Nightwalker said. "It's isolated from most people, and there's more than enough earth to make a temporary house. Satisfied with it?"

Raven nodded her agreement. "Of course. A temporary house would be so much easier to maintain than a permanent one, anyway."

"Can't argue with you on that." Nightwalker bent down and prodded the ground with his fingers, rubbing his fingertips after doing so. "Good. The earth here is hard and resistant enough for me to make a shelter that'll last. Stand back, please." Standing upright, Nightwalker spread out his hands, palms downwards, and moved them upwards sharply. The earth rose upwards in time with his hand motions, and Nightwalker went about with the task of forming a house of rocks, a small, simple one with a roof and two separate rooms. A door and two windows, one in each room, completed the house.

"Here. Take this. Karzor said it will form an energy bed. Just take it and throw it down onto the ground. Unless you prefer to sleep on stone, that is."

"An energy bed will do for me," Raven replied, accepting the small silver device from Nightwalker. Upon reaching her room, she threw it downwards as directed, and a small but decidedly comfortable-looking bed materialized out of nowhere, pale and almost ethereal-looking. A single touch, however, confirmed that it _was _solid.

"Anything you intend to do today?" Raven enquired.

"I'll really only have anything to do when something that shouldn't happen happens," Nightwalker replied calmly. "Until then, I intend to meditate or practice my abilities. Feel free to join me if you wish."

"I'll just do that, then," Raven replied, and together, the two of them levitated off the ground, crossed their legs with their eyes shut, and begin the familiar chant of _Azarath Metrion Zinthos. _

**Yup, this is a short chapter, I know, so I'll try to make the next one longer. **

**P.s. The Teen Titans will meet up with the pair soon! **


	32. Killer

Raven was awoken in the night by a horrific nightmare in which she saw nothing but blood and death everywhere. There must have been at least five bloodied corpses lying on the ground in her dream. Sweating and hyperventilating, she jerked upright in a second, squeezing her eyes shut to block out the terrible images. She was accustomed to having dreams, but seldom were they so vivid, so frightening.

All thoughts of sleep banished, Raven kicked the blanket away and phased through the stone wall right into Nightwalker's room. Nightwalker was still sleeping peacefully, untouched by the terror that had visited Raven in her dream.

Guilty at having to wake Nightwalker from his sleep like this, Raven gave his shoulder a hard shake. "Wake up!" she yelled. "Wake up! There's some trouble going on!"

Nightwalker's transition from sleep to wakefulness was smooth as ever. He showed no signs of exhaustion or grogginess as he sat upright and pushed his blanket away. Unlike Raven, he had chosen to sleep on the stony ground, not at all discomforted by its hardness. "What trouble?" he demanded.

"I – I saw death in a dream," Raven replied. "I think it's in the city. There were buildings and cars…and corpses everywhere!"

"Think you can lead us to the right spot?"

Raven nodded, thankful that Nightwalker knew her well enough not to question her dream. "I think so. Follow me."

Leaving behind their stone house, Raven and Nightwalker took off into the night, flying towards the city as fast as they could. Raven could feel the sense of danger escalating as she and he companion flew on. It was most fortunate that Karzor and Clelo had given her such effective lessons in emotion-control, otherwise she would have been panicking by then.

"Did you see the killer's face?"

"I can identify him by his emotions when we get there. _If _he's still there."

By the time they arrived, not a single victim was still alive. Their deaths had been quick, almost immediate. Nightwalker breathed out hard as he bent down to gently shut the eyes of one of the victims, a heavily pregnant woman. Rage threatened to spill out in abundance, used as he was to feeling nothing. Both mother and unborn child would never have a chance to experience life, all because a killer would have it so. He straiaghtened himself slowly, and saw, even in the darkness, Raven's eyes glinting dangerously.

"The killer's not here anymore," Raven announced. "I can't feel the emotions of a murderer anywhere close."

"Could we use our telepathy to probe these people's memories?"

"We can. They've not been dead for long, so their memories will be fresh enough still."

Close together, Nightwalker and Raven lightly touched the forehead of two victims, entering their minds slowly. Images of the killer came quickly to both of them. Raven saw his profile ever so clearly: bulky muscles, unkempt black hair, cold black eyes. An odd black tattoo marked the side of his thick neck. This man was unknown to Raven, but it didn't matter. Tracking someone came easily to her.

"You know who he is?" Raven asked.

"No," Nightwalker replied. "Never seen him. But that doesn't matter. I'm not stopping until I've found him and given him a taste of justice."

"Until _we've _stopped him," Raven corrected.

"Until we've stopped him, then." Nightwalker glanced at Raven and added, "You lead the way. You tracking abilities are much better than mine."

Raven pressed her fingers to her temple and focussed hard on the very frail psychic link that he had managed to establish. Her feet took her down the dark alley, away from where most people would congregate. Nightwalker followed behind, keeping all his senses alert. Though it seemed unlikely that the killer had superpower like them, judging by the way he had killed his victims, chances were not to be taken.

"We're getting closer," Raven announced after some time. "I can feel that murderous intention getting stronger now."

"You think he has superpowers like us?"

"I doubt it," Raven replied. "He inflicted those injuries physically, with a knife and gun." She took several steps forward, and jerked to a sudden halt.

"Stop," she commanded, holding out a hand. "This is as close as we should get for now."

"Is he here?"

_He and his minions are just around the corner. Behind a door. _

_Got it. I can detect the presence of five people. You? _

_Same here. Can you use your metallic abilities to feel if they have guns? _

_They do. I can already feel it from here. And they've got plenty of bullets and knives as well. _

_I don't sense any superpowers in them, fortunately. I've probed their minds quickly, and as far as I can tell, they have no special abilities. _

_Good. That'll make things much easier for us, then. _

_We'll burst in when I give the signal, _Raven instructed. _Ready? _

_I sure am. _

_One, two, three...NOW! _Raven launched herself forward like a missile and sent a blast of energy straight towards the door, knocking it down on the spot. Nightwalker lunged forward as well, immediately using his powers to break all the guns and knives, rendering them useless.

Inside the room, all five men leaped to their feet as if they had just been shot. All five of them were unwashed and unkempt, emanating the stench of garbage and filth. Raven crinkled her nose, holding her breath against the offensive odour. She and Nightwalker glared round at the men, and the men, in turn, stared back hard.

"Who are you?" the killer snarled, stepping forward at once. "What did you do to our weapons?" He glanced round at the broken pieces of knives and guns left on the floor. "How dare you burst in on us like that?"

"And how dare you butcher so many innocent people as if they were animals?" Nightwalker retorted.

The killer froze momentarily, taken aback by Nightwalker's blunt statement. "And how did you know that I'm guilty of that crime?" he sneered. "Have you any proof?"

"We are not quite what you think we are," Raven replied smoothly, and the murderer's eyes widened. "You see, me and my companion here do have...uncanny abilities. I can feel your murderous vibe even from here. And you will have to face justice for what you have done."

"Taking on the role of police, perhaps?"

"Not at all," Raven replied coolly. "But we did come here to do THIS!" With that, she used a blast of energy to knock the murderer backwards, with all her might. He struck the wall hard, and the rest of his minions gasped aloud in unison, jaws dropping.

"How did..."

"We're not going to kill you," Nightwalker put in, reading their thoughts easily. "It's not our job to pronounce judgement on you wrong-doers. All we're going to do is to take you down and make sure the police have an easier job when they arrive. Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" With one swift, smooth motion, he flipped open the top of the water container he had brought, and sent out a water whip sharply, using it to strike all four men. The force was unbelievable, and all of them toppled downward like rag dolls, the air knocked out of their lungs.

"Raven!"

"Got it!" Raven drew back her hand and thrust it forward again, transforming an energy blast into a huge, solid clawed hand of black. With a flick of her own hand, she directed the energy hand to neatly clamp all five men down onto the ground, immobilizing them effectively without much effort.

_Nightwalker, call the police. I'll hold down these men here until they arrive. _

_Got it. Be careful. _Nightwalker cast the men a single glance and ran out of the room, heading for the nearest public phone.

"What freaks are you?" one of the men gasped, struggling in vain to release himself. "Are you two monsters?"

"Whatever," Raven retorted coldly. "What you think about us doesn't matter in the least." She maintained her grip on the men, waiting patiently for the police.

_I've called them up already. They'll be here any minute now. You OK? _

_I'm perfectly safe. I'll make an exit once I hear the sirens. _

Within minutes, Raven's keen ears detected the clear, sharp sound of sirens piercing the night air. Knowing her job was done, Raven sustained her grip on the men for several more moments until she sensed the presence of other people nearby. In complete silence, she dispelled the energy and deftly phased out of the room, joining Nightwalker outside.

_You did a good job there. _

_So did you, _Raven replied.

While several well-armed officers stormed the room, barking out orders to the criminals, Raven and Nightwalker spent the next few minutes talking to the other officers, who seemed to have a never-ending repertoire of questions. How did they know where the killer went? Did they know any of the victims? Had they actually followed the killer all the way to his hide-out?

Raven and Nightwalker answered the questions as best as they could, privately wishing they could just leave and return to their sleep. Much to their relief, the officer questioning them was finally satisfied, and thanked them for their help, dismissing them. Raven and Nightwalker murmured a polite response and hurried away.

_Well, thank goodness that's over, _Nightwalker remarked.

_Mmm. I daresay our first job together went well. _

_Certainly. Now, you think we can still sleep, after all that excitement? _


	33. Linking with Raven

"…the notorious gang members are now in custody, awaiting trial. The police wish to thank the two witnesses for their crucial aid that enabled the officers to arrest the gangsters…."

"Well, to think that some of the Black Tattoo gangsters are already behind bars," Scott remarked. "I never thought that day would come. The police say that gang is the sneakiest one around"

"Well, things change," Xavier replied calmly, turning off the TV.

"I can't help but wonder who those witnesses are," Scott remarked. "They must have really been in the right place at the right time to witness the killings."

"Perhaps. Or perhaps not. For all we know, those two witnesses could have been mutants with sensing abilities. Those gangsters are extremely cunning; it seems unlikely to me that those two witnesses could have caught them in the act without being noticed."

"So, you think they were both mutants?"

"If they were, they're not in the area anymore. This bit of news isn't new; I already heard it much earlier this morning. I immediately tried to use Cerebro to detect any mutants in that area, but there are none."

"What about the rest of the gang? I'm pretty sure more of them are still out there, right?"

Xavier nodded gravely. "And unfortunately, the remaining gangsters have sent out a public warning to hunt down those two witnesses as well. Things don't look too good for that pair."

"I'm sure they can take care of themselves, considering they managed to direct the police to the right area without getting caught by the killers. Plus, the police will probably take them under protection if necessary."

"We can only hope so."

* * *

News of the gangsters' arrest spread round the city faster than fire. There was not a single X-Man in the institute who didn't know about it either. For the next two days, the news broadcasted almost nothing but news of the arrest, and the two mysterious witnesses.

"I really think those two witnesses must have been mutants, like us," Kitty piped up, as she and her comrades lazed around by the pool, enjoying the warm sunlight. "Did you hear the latest news about it? The police said that when they checked those gangsters' hide-out room, they found bits of broken guns and knives lying around! Can you imagine that? Who would have enough strength to break metal?"

"Yeah, I heard about that too," Bobby drawled lazily. "Funny, isn't it? Someone must have confronted those gangsters without getting hurt. By the time the police swarmed into that secret room to check it out, the weapons were already broken."

"Perhaps those two witnesses did it," Rahne suggested. "That sounds like the only logical explanation. Unless those gangsters were truly idiotic, and destroyed their own weapons."

Kitty gave a snort of amusement. "Yeah right," she replied. "Who in their right mind would do that?"

"Those supposed mutants did make a pretty quick exit, though," Roberto said. "The Professor said Cerebro didn't detect any mutants at all in that area, just hours after the arrest. It's almost as if they wanted to disappear quickly."

"Or perhaps," Kitty said slowly, "those witnesses were superpowered _non_-mutants."

"And how is that possible?" Bobby challenged.

"Kitty." Rahne turned to stare hard at her friend. "Are you suggesting that _Rachel _was one of those witnesses?"

Kitty shrugged casually. "How else could those mutants have disappeared so quickly without a trace?"

"But Rachel is almost non-existent now," Roberto said. "Remember what the Professor told us? He could never establish even the tiniest psychic link to Rachel. He said it was as if she no longer even existed."

"Rachel can travel to other dimensions, remember?" Rahne replied, poking Roberto in the side. "After she vanished from the Institute, it was always my guess that she travelled to another dimension, or something like that. How else could she have vanished so thoroughly? No-one can escape the Professor's psychic detection, surely."

"I wouldn't be surprised if Rachel somehow did, though," Bobby said. "You all know what she was like, after all. She seems capable of almost anything."

"Even vanishing?"

"Why don't we simply ask the Professor to try locating her again now?" Kitty suggested. "Of course, we have no proof that Rachel was one of those witnesses, but there's no harm in trying."

"And what if she _was _one of those witnesses?" Bobby asked. "Who could the other witness be? And what can we do about it? Drag Rachel back here?"

"Of course not!" Kitty retorted. "Don't forget, she was our friend…and in a way, she still is. Even if she doesn't want to return here, we could perhaps still establish contact." Guilt stabbed her heart as she recalled how abruptly Rachel had left. Though she spoke with confidence, she felt none. There was no absolutely no way of knowing how Rachel felt about them now. Would she turn against them if a meeting did occur?

"Scott won't approve of her returning," Roberto reminded them.

"So what? He isn't the head of the Institute, is he?"

"Alright, alright. Just go to the Professor and ask him," Bobby groaned. "We'll wait here for news."

"And let's hope it's good news," Rahne added.

Kitty rose to her feet, stretched, and rushed back to the mansion. Against her will, she found herself thinking of Rachel – again. A year had not been enough to erase her memories of all the good times they had share together. Certainly, without a doubt, Rachel was like no other person Kitty had ever known, and yet, it had been almost impossible to dislike her, in spite of her frightening powers.

Of course, Kitty had been fully aware of the rather volatile situation a year ago. She knew how angry and upset Scott had been about Rachel's lack of control over her powers, and how he had, in effect, chased her out of their lives with his cruel words. There was not a single mutant in the Institute who didn't know why Rachel had left. Responses, though, had been mixed. Kitty and a few others who had been rather close to Rachel had been upset, whereas some of the others, though they expressed shock and sadness over it, had been quite obviously relieved. And yet, who could really blame them for it?

In that moment, Kitty realized she wasn't too sure whether she wanted Rachel to have been one of those witnesses.

Xavier was pondering over yet another matter in his room when Kitty knocked and entered. "Professor," Kitty said, getting right down to the point, "I've been discussing this with the other mutants, and, well…"

"Well what?"

"We think Rachel Roth could have been one of those witnesses that night," Kitty admitted. "Of course, it's only a guess, but I think it makes sense. You said you couldn't detect the presence of any mutants around that area just hours after the arrest. But it's almost certain someone with powers had been there that night. How else can we explain the broken guns and knives the police found?"

Xavier nodded, face expressionless. "And you want me to try and establish a psychic link with Rachel again?"

"If you don't mind, yes."

"Your loyalty to Rachel is admirable, Kitty. But, what if you're right and she was one of the witnesses? What will you do then?"

"I haven't thought that far, I'll admit," Kitty replied. "I was hoping you could advise us on that, if we do find Rachel."

"To begin with, I'll see what I can do." Xavier shut his eyes and pressed his fingers to his temples, frowning with concentration. Kitty waited quietly next to him, knotting her fingers together.

Xavier's eyelids twitched, and he made a sound that resembled a gasp. Kitty leaned forward intently, her eyes widening with hope. Xavier was focusing even harder now, his lips occasionally moving. Finally, he opened his eyes and looked up at Kitty with a brightening expression.

"Unbelievable," he breathed, almost to himself. "Who could have foreseen this?"

"What?" Kitty demanded, unable to hold back any longer. "What happened? Did you find Rachel?"

"I'm almost not believing this myself, but yes, Kitty. I sensed a glimpse of Rachel's mind before she ended the psychic link. And she's not too far from here!"

"Thank you, Professor!" Kitty's lips broke into a wide, beaming smile. Cheering aloud, she thanked Xavier again and bolted off, not caring how undignified she might look as she rushed back to the poolside to break the news to her friends. Rachel was on earth and contactable, and that was all that mattered.

**So, how do you like it? I thought I'd better put in a chapter about the X-Men, after a very long absence of the mutants. For those who wish to know, the Teen Titans will be appearing VERY shortly! **


	34. Chaos in the City

Raven was not a rookie when it came to dealing with mind powers, and she didn't fail to sense the temporary intrusion into her mind. The moment Professor Charles Xavier had linked to her psychically, she had noticed. Not only was it unexpected; it was most unwanted as well. It was best, she decided, if she kept away from the X-Men, as far as possible. For her sake, and for theirs.

"Just leave me alone," she muttered aloud.

"Someone making unwanted telepathic communication with you?"

"Been reading my mind?" Raven enquired dryly.

"I don't have to do it to guess what's going on," Nightwalker replied.

"Unfortunately, yes, you're right. I felt the Professor trying to establish a psychic link with me just moments ago."

"And I'm guessing you broke it off?"

"Of course," Raven replied. "I don't want to have anything to do with the X-Men anymore. It's just best that way."

Nightwalker nodded, but refrained from asking any more questions. Both Raven and Karzor, back in Azarath, had already told him about Raven's old involvement with the mutants known as the X-Men, and why Raven had left them. And he also knew it was a sensitive topic for Raven, one she generally avoided at all times. Changing the topic smoothly, he asked, "Why don't we head to the city, you and I? The people are having some kind of festival there today; it's the perfect day for the criminals the strike. Perhaps we'll be needed there."

"That's fine with me."

"Let's go, then."

Leaving behind the comfort of their simple but satisfying stone house, Raven and Nightwalker took flight and slowly flew off to the city. Even before they arrived, they could already hear the noise going on. The festival was a noisy event, and the streets were so filled with people that Raven and Nightwalker could barely find the smallest space to squeeze their bodies into. A parade was going on as well, the participants dressed up in the most garish of clothes that almost hurt the eye. The smell of alcohol seemed to be a permanent odour; clearly, some people were not going to miss out on the chance to be drunk. Everywhere, people were yelling and cheering, enjoying every bit of it.

"I think trying to walk through the eye of a needle would be easier than passing this," Raven muttered, as she and Nightwalker squeezed pass with tremendous difficulty, feeling as if they would be stick-thin by the end of it. How on earth, she wondered, could everyone manage to carry on without being knocked over? "Still think we should stay here?"

As if providing an answer to her question, an empty wine bottle came flying through the air like a missile, accompanied by a curse. Raven and Nightwalker automatically ducked, the bottle missing their head by inches. The glass came smashing down onto someone's feet, followed up by a furious snarl and swearing, and within seconds, several men had come together for a fight.

"Break it up! Break it up!" Police officers, armed with batons and sprays, promptly attended to the scene, barking out angry orders to the fighters. "Stop it, or we're placing you under arrest!"

"_Still _think we're needed?" Raven enquired dryly. "Staying here will probably give us more bruises than we want. I think the police can handle these scenes better than us. Last time I looked, Karzor and Clelo didn't exactly teach us how to…" She stopped in mid-sentence suddenly, her back straightening and her eyes brightening.

"What's wrong?" Nightwalker demanded, sensing the change in her.

"Do you feel that?" Raven muttered, frowning.

"Feel what?"

_That killing intent, _Raven replied telepathically. _I can feel it! Someone around here may be on a killing spree! _

_I'm not an empath, remember? _Nightwalker replied. _I can't feel people's emotions the way you do. Where's this person? _

_Too close for comfort. He'll be here in minutes. It's been a long time since I've felt so much murderous intent! _

_Do you know who that person might be? _

_I don't know. _

_Great. Of all days, he had to choose this day to be here. _

_We'll have to be ready for a fight, if the police can't stop him in time. _

_Think he's got powers like us? _

_Wait a moment. I'll look deeper into his mind. _

Nightwalker waited.

_Funny, _Raven responded, after a long pause. _I can't seem to read his mind at all. There's some sort of block around it! _

_Well, that answers my question about him, then. _

_A head-on confrontation now might be better, _Raven said. _Follow me. I can still sense his presence. And it's getting closer. _

Careful not to attract too much attention, Raven and Nightwalker pushed their way through the crowd with more force this time, not caring about manners. People glared at them, and some stared hard at their peculiar clothes, but it didn't last long, since essentially everyone else was clad in the oddest of garments as well.

_If there weren't so many people around, I'd have used a teleportation technique to get us out of this long ago, _Raven grumbled.

_Ah well. _

Grunting with effort and impatience, Raven and Nightwalker gently pushed aside the last person in their way after ten minutes of struggling through the massive crowd, and finally came clear of it. Raven was looking around intently, focusing on the person's presence. It was exceedingly hard to keep up with the person; he kept moving around, and Raven and Nightwalker couldn't move fast enough.

A scream, high and wild, suddenly pierced the air. More shouts and yells of warning arose in unison. Fear suddenly took over the people's excitement, their emotions hitting Raven like a bullet. Raven and Nightwalker looked up with alarm, and the first thing they noticed was an enormous metal pole bending over like an old man, creaking as it plummeted downwards.

"NO!" Nightwalker thrust out a hand desperately, frantically trying to stop it, but it was too late. There was a hideous _crash_, and Raven gasped as she felt another bout of fear and pain.

Pandemonium broke out. Raven and Nightwalker winced as the crowd almost stampeded in their efforts to move away from another metal pole, which was also bending over. But this time, Nightwalker was ready for it, and immediately stopped it mid-way, forcing it upright again.

_It's him, _Raven said. _The killer I felt! _

_What sort of power is he using? _

_I can't tell! _

All over the place, metallic objects came to life, breaking loose and flying freely, heading for the crowds. No longer caring how freaky he might appear to be, Nightwalker levitated upwards and put his powers to full use, halting all the metal before they could strike someone else. But his eyes could not see everything. Further away, metallic objects grouped together, unseen, formed round bullets, and penetrated the helpless crowd mercilessly.

_It may be another metal manipulator at work! _Nightwalker said. _Raven, help the injured. I'll take care of this guy. _

_Alright. Be careful! I'll have to teleport the victims away. I'll back you up once I've finished treating the injured. _

_Got it. _Nightwalker took his focus away from Raven, drew in a deep breath, and prepared himself for the confrontation with the unknown person.

* * *

"Magneto's on the loose again."

"What?" Scott spluttered, rushing forward to stare at the TV screen. "Him again? What's he…"

"It seems," Xavier replied grimly, "that the recent anti-mutant business did stir him up a fair bit. Just look at that." He pointed at the screen, where clear images of their enemy were been broadcasted. Metallic objects were going on a rampage, threatening to kill tens of innocent people. "And now, he's taking it out on the humans."

Scott nodded, and narrowed his gaze to focus on something else. "Professor, am I imagining things, or is there someone trying to stop him? I can see those metallic objects suddenly stopping in mid-air!"

Xavier leaned forward, peering intently at the screen. "Another mutant?" he breathed. "You're right, Scott! Someone else is already fighting Magneto even now!"

"We should back up that person right away."

Xavier nodded, his mind already forming new questions. "Tell Storm, Rogue, Jean and Kitty to go with you. Now!"

"Got it!" Scott nodded and rushed out, already shouting out to Rogue, who was passing by.

_Well, well, I wonder who Magneto's opponent is? _Reaching for Cerebro, Xavier adjusted it on his head and begin to concentrate.

**Like it so far? Will the X-Men witness Raven and Nightwalker in action? Well, you'll know the answers soon. **

**P.s. The Titans will be appearing within the next 3 chapters or so. **

**To all my reviewers, thank you so much for your reviews and compliments! **


	35. Battle with Magneto

Nightwalker finally got a good look at his opponent when he came into full view, arm outstretched. It was a man wearing bright red, a matching helmet on his head. A long cloak of dark blue billowed behind him as he landed on the ground just several meters away from Nightwalker. Deciding that it was best for his identity to remain hidden, Nightwalker promptly enshrouded himself in a cloak of darkness.

"A mutant, huh?" the man remarked. "And a metal user, just like me."

"Who are you?" Nightwalker demanded.

"You can call me Magneto," the mutant replied.

"Magneto." Nightwalker's heterochromatic eyes swept over him contemptuously. "What on earth are you trying to do here?"

Magneto's lips curved upwards in a slow, cold smile. "I'm guessing you know nothing about the anti-mutant protests, then?"

"I'm no mutant."

Magneto chuckled humourlessly. "And I'm supposed to believe that?"

"Believe what you want to. It doesn't affect me." Nightwalker focused his anger into a metal pole nearby, forced it out of the ground, and hurled it towards Magneto.

Magneto stopped it easily, eyes fixed on Nightwalker. "You're no non-mutant," he said. "Any fool with just one eye can see that. Why deny what you are?"

"You sure talk a lot," Nightwalker replied coldly, keeping his eyes fixed on Magneto. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Forcing all his energy into all the metal he could see, he levitated them upwards and sent them hurtling towards Magneto.

"It's going to take a lot more than that to stop me," Magneto said arrogantly. He spoke with the confidence of someone who had never lost a battle before. "You'll have to do much more than just flinging metal at me."

Nightwalker smiled grimly to hear this. He had no intention of telling Magneto that he was capable of manipulating more than just metal. Let the arrogant mutant think he had the upper hand, then he would strike when Magneto was least expecting it.

_Nightwalker, do you need help? _

_Not yet. This guy's a metal user, or so he says. I think I can handle him. _

_Just don't let your guard down. _

_Don't you worry, that won't happen. _

Magneto clenched his fists and thrust his arms forward over and over again, each time flinging more and more metallic objects at Nightwalker. Nightwalker stopped them without too much effort, relying more on defence than offense for several minutes. Magneto was certainly adept in controlling metal, but Karzor had taught Nightwalker plenty of tricks. And Nightwalker was confident enough that he could stay in control.

As if sensing that Nightwalker was no easy opponent, Magneto changed tactics without warning. Nightwalker felt some sort of stir inside his body, and it didn't take him long to guess what his opponent was up to. Magneto, without a doubt, was clearly trying to manipulate the metal _inside_ of Nightwalker's body, using it as his deadliest weapon. Nightwalker felt sharp pain stinging him, but it was still tolerable. Nor did he have to worry too much.

_Talk about using dirty tactics! _Nightwalker thought, as he prepared to counter Magneto's attack.

* * *

"Look! Magneto's over there!"

Scott, Jean, Rogue and Kitty cast their glances in the direction that Storm was pointing at. Magneto was in the midst of fighting a rather intense-looking battle, his opponent an odd figure clouded in black. None of the mutants could even tell whether it was a boy or girl. Metallic objects were scattered all over the place, littering the ground like heaps of rubbish.

"Come on!" Kitty urged. "We've got to help that person!"

Careful to keep out of sight, the five comrades ran forward with as much subtlety as they could muster. As far as they could see, Magneto did not have the upper hand yet. Relieved, Scott begin to bark orders to the team.

"Rogue, you'll have to touch Magneto and absorb his powers before he does anymore damage. Kitty, you help her get close. Storm, try to give us some cover. Jean, you and I will keep Magneto occupied."

"Sounds like a good plan," Kitty said.

"Let's move, then!"

Storm raised her arms above her head, intending to summon a mist to obscure Magneto's view. But before she could make her move, Nightwalker reacted first, using a sudden gust of wind to knock Magneto backwards sharply. Taken by surprise, Magneto went flying backwards for several seconds, before he regained control and straightened himself, staring at Nightwalker with shock.

"What was that?"

Nightwalker permitted himself to smile grimly. "I must have forgotten to tell you that I do have a few other tricks in my sleeve," he replied coolly. "Did you know, for example, that I can also do _this_?" Keeping his arms still, he lightly tapped his foot on the ground once.

"And something's supposed to happen?" Magneto sneered, seeing nothing change.

In reply, Nightwalker flicked his fingers upwards subtly. At the same moment, the ground beneath Magneto's feet suddenly moved as well, a huge earth pillar angling towards him with such force and speed and accuracy that Magneto found himself flying backwards at top speed. He yelled aloud with shock, but it certainly wasn't enough to stop his flight. He struck the pavement several meters away with a grunt, and, unable to move straightaway, he simply lay there with the air knocked out of his lungs.

Taking advantage of Magneto's inability to move, Nightwalker moved his arm in front of him in a sharp arc, slicing off part of the earth pillar and using a large portion of it to smash right into Magneto, hard enough to knock him out, but not hard enough to kill him. Magneto let out a strangled sort of gasp, stiffened up, then fell back limply, blood smearing his pale face.

Even without having to examine him, Nightwalker knew he was certainly out cold. Not that he was taking pleasure in it. His only intention had been to knock out Magneto to stop his killing spree, not to seriously harm him or show off his skills. Breathing out hard, he sent out a telepathic message to Raven.

_Raven, he's out. How are things going with you? _

_I've just finished tending to the last patient. It's time we leave now. The SWAT team will be here any second now. _

_Metal guns and bullets won't work on this guy here. He's a metal user as well. _

_The SWAT team knows that. Apparently, it isn't the first time that metal guy has been involved in this sort of thing. Don't worry, as long as he's knocked out, I think the SWAT team can handle him. I'll be over there right now. _

As the X-Men stared on at Nightwalker with awe, shocked and impressed at the same time, they noticed a flash of black materializing near Magneto's conqueror. The blackness grew larger, its shape altering, then it took on the shape of a person concealed by a long cloak and hood of dark blue. Kitty stared at the person whose back was facing her, then her jaw dropped.

"Rachel?" she whispered.

"No way," Scott breathed.

"Rachel!" Not bothering to take a better look at the person, Kitty dashed forward, her long brown hair streaming out behind her in its ponytail. "Rachel, is that you? Rachel!"

Raven might as well have been deaf, loud as Kitty was yelling. Her head turned towards Kitty's direction ever so slightly, and then she leaned towards Nightwalker to murmur something to him softly, her hand gripping his arm. Nightwalker nodded silently, and before Kitty's eyes, darkness shrouded the pair again. Their figures diminished and the blackness faded away.

"No! Wait! Rachel!" In her desperation, Kitty lunged forward madly, arms waving frantically at the nothingness. But she was already too late. Rachel was gone – again.

**Thanks for all your reviews, guys. Hope you like this chapter. **

**I've just changed my mind about the Teen Titans. Since everyone (me included) is so eager to see them, I've decided to make them appear in the next chapter, or the one after that. **


	36. First Meeting

The Black Branch gangsters struck the city right in the middle of the afternoon, when the city was at its peak hour. There was no end to the number of people passing back and forth on the streets, and the gangsters knew that.

A woman screamed at the top of her lungs as a Black Branch member aimed his gun and shot her right in the chest, killing her almost immediately. Just several meters away, another woman howled as a second member emptied two bullets into her. All over, there was chaos and screaming, followed by more gunshots. Countless citizens were on the phone with 911, desperately screaming for help and begging the police to get there sooner.

But someone came sooner than the police. As the umpteenth caller dialled the police, someone pointed at two figures in the distance, hope lighting up his eyes. As everyone turned, they saw that a black-haired boy in red and green and yellow, with a black-and-white eye mask was rushing towards the scene at top speed, along with a tall, red-haired, green-eyed girl wearing the oddest purple garments anyone had ever seen.

"Look! It's Robin and Starfire!"

Without hesitation, Robin ran towards the heart of danger, Starfire flying above him. The gangsters looked up at them in unison, guns held at the ready. Robin eyed them through narrowed eyes, and his hands flew to his utility belt, grabbing an explosive disc.

"I don't know what you're all up to, but you're going down!" Robin roared.

The gunmen responded with a flurry of gunshots that nearly deafened everyone within range. Starfire grabbed Robin by the shoulders and lifted him up into the air, dodging the bullets effortlessly. The gunmen kept up their attack, but Starfire was quicker than the bullets, and managed to drop Robin into a well-concealed spot.

From there, Robin launched his attack, flinging an explosive disc at the gangsters. He heard the _bang _clearly, followed by the yells of several gangsters, while his nose detected the smell of smoke. Taken advantage of their shock, Starfire flew out and begin to pelt them with her starbolts, mercilessly.

Robin was about to step out and continue his attack when he heard footsteps pounding behind him. He found himself staring right into the barrel of a huge rifle, death just seconds away. Robin gasped, preparing to duck, but the gunmen had positioned himself well, and pulled the trigger.

Without warning, a black shield was flung up in front of Robin, neatly blocking the bullet that would otherwise have ripped a hole in his body. Both Robin and the gunmen spun round at once, and found themselves facing an odd-looking figure clad entirely in black and dark blue, a pale hand outstretched. Another figure appeared behind her, an equally weird-looking person wearing similar garments.

"Who…"

The girl who had just saved him from certain death thrust her hand forward, releasing a powerful blast of black energy that promptly knocked the gunman backwards with full force. Robin stared at her with wide eyes, surprised and relieved at the same time. As the gunman hit the wall behind, his gun was levitated into mid-air, and snapped into two as if it were a twig.

"There are more guys out there," the girl said to her companion, in a calm, emotionless voice. "Let's get them."

Together, the two dark-clad figures flew off after a single glance at Robin. Robin blinked once, then regained his wits and hurried out towards the scene, grabbing more explosive discs as he did so. Starfire was still up in the air, taking down more gunmen with a mixture of starbolts and eye lasers.

"Yo! Who's messing up my city?"

Robin whirled round and found that another three people had arrived. One was a tall half-human, half-machine, another was a boy entirely green all over and the third was a thin blue-eyed girl with long blond hair. The cyborg had his hands on his hips as he surveyed the scene, looking like a disapproving father.

"Not the branch guys again!" the green boy groaned aloud. "I thought the police had them all already!"

"Huh! That won't happen," the yellow-haired girl snorted. "The Black Branch has members everywhere. And that's why we're here! Let's go kick butt!"

Robin could have almost smiled as the trio leaped into action, along with the two black-clad figures who had arrived earlier. The green boy surprised him by transforming into a huge lion, leaping straight into the chaos and aiming for the gunmen. The yellow-haired girl pulled some sort of goggles over her eyes and raised her arms towards the sky. Robin felt the ground tremble, and then rocks rose up from the ground, levitating in mid-air. They remained there for several moments, and then they begin to fly towards the gunmen, eliciting grunts and shouts of pain from them. The cyborg himself extended an arm forward, and before Robin's eyes, that arm changed into a massive sonic cannon. With a cry of "oh yeah", he released a single blast from it, sending countless gangsters flying through the air.

The two dark figures who had saved Robin earlier were fighting just as hard. The girl was using some sort of dark energy to break guns and move men, and her companion was doing the same to all the guns, even halting the bullets in mid-air before they could contact anyone else. The rest of the citizens had retreated to a safe distance, and were watching everything with open eyes and mouths.

Starfire landed beside Robin, her eyes wide with wonder. "Who are they?" she enquired curiously. "They have powers like us too!"

"No idea who they are, but it doesn't matter. For now, let's focus on taking down the bad guys!"

All seven of them worked together as an almost perfect team, calmly taking down the gunmen one by one. Somewhere along the way, the police and SWAT team arrived, guns held at the ready, only to realize there was almost no need of them whatsoever. Robin and his new allies swept through the area with ruthless efficiency, ensuring that not one Black Branch gangster was left standing upright. Seeing how defeated they were, the last four of them tried to run, but Robin and the black-clad boy spotted them from the corner of their eyes and moved into action in unison. Robin executed a flying kick on one of them perfectly, while the dark boy used a huge water whip to knock down the remaining three. Before any of them could rise to their feet, they found themselves held in place by a huge rock hand until the police were there with handcuffs and guns.

"Good work, Robin." Sergeant Morris, who had been on the police force for two decades, knew Robin and Starfire well enough to know they were no threat to his colleagues. He cast a glance round at Robin's new and unexpected allies, and his eyebrows rose slightly. "Thanks for your help, all of you. We'll take care of them now."

The seven heroes nodded and subtly retreated, allowing the officers to arrest the gangsters and pop them into the police vans. All seven of them cast a look at each other in mutual acknowledgement, with Starfire thanking them in loud, cheerful tones.

"I'm Robin, and this is Starfire. May I know your names?" Robin asked politely.

"Cyborg."

"Terra."

"Beast Boy."

"Raven."

"Nightwalker."

"Thank you all for your help!" Starfire beamed again, hands clasped. "Because you helped us, we have managed to kick the butt again."

"Uh…" Beast Boy, the green fellow, looked mildly puzzled at Starfire's oddly-constructed sentence. "You're welcome."

"I didn't realize there were so many other superheroes around here," Robin confessed.

"But this is very good!" Starfire interrupted cheerfully, clapping her hands. "Would you like to join me and Robin for some pizzas with the butter of peanut? Or would you prefer to hang out in the mall of shopping?"

"Oooh! Vegetarian pizzas!" Beast Boy was almost drooling as he rubbed his palms together. "Sounds yummy! I say yes!"

Starfire clapped her hands with glee, her eyes glinting with delight. "Then let's go!"

Serious as he was, Robin couldn't refrain from smiling at Starfire's enthusiasm. "I think this would be a good opportunity to get to know each other and to discuss something," he said.

**So sorry for the very late update, dear readers. I'm afraid my workload increased exponentially, so I had no time to write much. Thanks for all your patience. **

**So, yup, the Teen Titans have appeared at last, as promised. To make things easier, I've decided to have some of them already working together. I know it's different from the original, but I thought I'd do something dissimilar. Please review and tell me what you think. **


	37. First Team Battle

"So, what do you think?"

Raven arched her eyebrows towards Nightwalker.

"I mean, the offer from Robin."

"Of all people, you should know why being in a team is _never _a good idea for someone like me."

"And of all people, you should know that you don't have to worry about that sort of thing any longer," Nightwalker replied, a note of exasperation in his voice. "You've already gained complete control over your powers."

Raven shook her head. "That may be so, but I'm still not entirely comfortable with that idea," she replied.

"Well, neither am I entirely comfortable with working with so many others," Nightwalker replied, truthfully. "But sometimes, it's necessary to step out of our comfort zone to do what we have to. Working in a team is so much safer and more effective than just the two of us."

"And yet, _you _worked alone for quite a long time before going to Azarath, I believe," Raven pointed out.

"That was different. Back then, I knew no-one, and there was no opportunity for me to work in a team."

"And you honestly think that joining Robin and Starfire and the rest is a good idea?"

"Certainly. Seven people can accomplish much more than just two, after all."

Raven sighed, blowing a strand of hair away from her face, taking her time to think through it. "I suppose," she finally answered, "that we can give it a try. But if things go wrong, we leave. Satisfied?"

"Definitely. Let's just hope it won't ever come to that, though."

"Indeed," Raven returned, as a shadowy expression passed her eyes.

Even as she said that, the communicator that Robin had given everyone buzzed almost deafeningly, startling both of them considerably. Raven grabbed it and flipped it open at once, looking down at the image of Robin's face. "What's wrong?" she demanded.

"Twister's on the loose!" Robin said sharply. "He's terrorizing Peppermint Road! Can you back us up?"

"Sure. We'll be there." Raven cast a single glance at Nightwalker, and without a word, the duo flew out the door.

* * *

It was not the first time Peppermint Road had been terrorized. Everyone knew that it was a place frequented all too often by criminals who had nothing better to do than terrorize the citizens. But this time, it was no mere criminal at work. Looking at the shambles in the street, anyone would have thought that a typhoon had just struck the area. Metal, glass, plastic and rubbish lay strewn all over, making it almost impossible to walk down that way.

The man known as Twister stepped back from his work and pursed up his lips in a cheerful whistle, hands in his pockets. Alternately humming and whistling as if the mess was nothing to be concerned about, he turned and was about to walk away when two shadows loomed over him.

"So, you're the famous Twister, I'm guessing?"

Twister stopped his whistling and calmly gazed back at the person who had addressed him. He recognized Robin at once, with Starfire next to him. Only this time, they were not alone, as they should have been. Five others flanked them, two of them standing out in their odd black and dark blue clothes.

"And you've brought new…friends, I see," Twister replied lightly.

"Take him down!"

All seven of them immediately split up, heading towards Twister from different directions. Twisters made a comical little gasp as if everything was just a joke, and begin to twirl. Round and round he spun, until he resembled a red and yellow tornado. Cackling, he angled towards Robin, threatening to send him spinning through the air.

Raven immediately reacted, flinging up a shield in front of Robin seconds before Twister collided into it with full force, making her grimace at the impact of it. The shield remained unbroken, but it wouldn't stay so for long. Twister had already retreated, and was preparing for another blow.

Starfire promptly swooped downwards and grabbed Robin by the shoulders, lifting him up while Raven flew upwards to avoid Twister. Despite the remarkable speed at which he was spinning at, he still seemed capable of seeing what was around him. With a startling amount of skill, he angled sharply to the left and spun himself towards Beast Boy.

"Beast Boy! Move now!" Terra bellowed.

If Beast Boy heard her, her words probably didn't quite register with him. Instead, he morphed into a rhinoceros and stood his ground, scraping the ground with his massive paws. As Twister got closer and closer, Beast Boy charged, lowering his head. Terra yelled out a warning, but there was already too much momentum forward to be stopped.

Grunting with effort, Terra threw her arms upwards, desperately forcing up the ground between Beast Boy and Twister. A massive earth wall rose up immediately, seconds before what would have been a horrific impact. Beast Boy struck the wall with full force and recoiled with a grunt, resuming his human form, while Twister deftly angled himself away again.

"He's fast!" Cyborg exclaimed.

"Ahhh…" Beast Boy groaned aloud with pain and grasped his spinning, aching head between his hands. Terra was calling out an apology even as she tried to slow Twister's movements by boxing him in with earth walls. But no matter how fast she was, Twister was even faster, and kept dodging everything.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Teeth gritted with concentration, Raven levitated a huge bundle of objects upwards and sent them flying towards Twister as he ceased his spinning momentarily.

"That's not a good…" Robin began, but it was too late. Twister cackled with glee, and moved his arm in a circular motion, transforming the objects into a spinning mass.

Having noticed that many of those objects were made of metal, Nightwalker hurriedly drew them away from Twister, keeping a firm energy grasp on all metal there. Twister's eyes flickered towards him for the briefest of moments, then he looked away and sent a powerful blast of twisting energy spiralling towards the glass windows. There was a sharp cracking sound, then bits of glass fragments exploded over everyone. Someone would certainly have been cut if Raven hadn't flung up a shield at the right moment.

"This is getting extremely irritating!" Robin growled.

"And what exactly are his powers?" Raven asked.

"He can release some sort of twisting energy that turns everything, including himself, into an airless tornado," Robin replied. "Anything solid that might make contact with him is automatically spun off. That's his power."

"Anything solid," Nightwalker mused. "What about lightning, then? Can he spin that off too?"

"I'm not sure, but I doubt it," Robin replied.

"Sounds like a plan already," Cyborg remarked.

"Indeed," Terra mused.

"I'll need your help, though," Nightwalker said quickly. "I need him to be boxed in before I can zap him with my lightning."

"I think that can be done," Cyborg said enthusiastically.

"If we work together…" Starfire agreed.

"Let's do this!" Beast Boy cheered.

"Alright. Starfire, Beast Boy, Raven, box him in from the sky," Robin said. "Me, Terra and Cyborg will box him in from the ground. Nightwalker, hit him hard as you can once you have a clear hit. Let's go!"

Raven dispelled the shield and all seven of them leaped into position, careful not to stay too close to each other. Starfire and Raven took off into the air, along with Beast Boy who morphed into a crow, while Robin, Terra and Cyborg positioned themselves several meters away from Twister. Nightwalker concealed himself behind a nearby building, keeping a close eye on all the proceedings.

Starfire immediately begin a barrage of starbolts, pelting Twister with them mercilessly until the whole area seemed to glow green. Twister turned into a self-tornado again, twisting and spinning out of the way deftly. But Raven managed to anticipate his movement, and flung up a shield in front of him, trying to block his way. Twister moved again, but Raven again predicted his intentions, and produced several more shields in strategic locations, ensuring that Twister couldn't move about freely. Twister already seemed more hesitant now, his movements a little more laboured. Taking advantage of it, Raven withdrew one of the shields to give Starfire the change to blast him with a monumental starbolt. It did not have quite the intended effect, for Twister managed to move again, but at least it struck him heavily in the arm, giving him a huge shock.

In complete silence, Beast Boy flew forward smoothly, smashing straight into the stunned Twister. The blow caught him head-on and sent Twister spiralling downwards. As he fell, Cyborg activated his sonic cannon and gave Twister a good blast, while Terra hurled a rock towards him. As Twister tried to regain his balance, Robin delivered a flying kick to him, pinning him down to the ground as best as he could. Still stunned by the earlier attacks, Twister could barely respond.

_Nightwalker, zap him now! _Raven ordered. _Robin, move out of the way. _

Already ready for it, Nightwalker flew out and aimed a lightning blast right at Twister, zapping him effectively in the arm. Twister gave some sort of yell as his body lit up with an eerie blue light, then blacked out as smoke wafted from him. His body was black and charred, as if he had just been burned. With extreme caution nevertheless, Robin and his comrades edge towards him, until Raven descended and calmly informed them that Twister was no more danger to anyone.

"Good work, everyone," Robin said, in his usual business-like tone.

"We kicked the butt again!" Starfire beamed.

"Time to get him to jail," Cyborg commented.

"He'd simply twist his way out of there," Terra reminded him.

"He's been to jail before," Robin replied. "And they kept him there, until someone helped him escape. I think there'll be more secure facilities for him there this time."

"And I'll numb his mind as an extra precaution," Raven said, kneeling down by him. Hand on his forehead, she murmured her usual chant of _Azarath Metrion Zinthos _and deftly number all his emotions completely, making sure his mind was blank.

"What did you just do?" Beast Boy asked curiously.

"Numbed his mind."

"Oooh."

"The SWAT team will be here any moment now," Robin said, putting his communicator away. "We can leave at any time, once we see them."

"Thank you all for helping us!" Starfire smiled, hands clasped. "Shall we get some pizza and mustard to celebrate this joyous occasion?"

"Vegetarian pizza," Beast Boy piped up.

"You and your vegetarian," Terra chuckled.

"Bull yeah!" Cyborg cheered. "Pizza sounds goood! Mmmm!"

With so much enthusiasm about the pizza, saying 'no' was decidedly impossible. "Well then, let's head to Pizza House," Robin said. "And while we're there, I think we should have a meeting about this team too."

**So, here we go! Teen Titans are almost official! **


	38. Moving In

_**~Several months later~**_

"Ooooh! Are you serious? Is this true? Are we really going to be living in _this_?"

Terra chuckled as she and the rest of their comrades stood before a huge, magnificent T-shaped tower that overlooked the entire city, sitting on the top of a rock in the middle of a very large lake. Cyborg, Robin, Nightwalker and Raven had worked for what seemed like ages to build this new home for their newly-formed team. And now, it was ready to move in, neatly touched up and furnished.

"Just don't thrash anything," Raven muttered, as she brushed past Beast Boy.

"Hey! Why would I want to thrash our new home anyway?" Beast Boy protested.

"Who knows, with someone like you," Raven said under her breath. In the time that she had come to know him, she had discovered that Beast Boy was a natural jokester with a most irritating love of jokes and comedy. It was probably possible, Raven thought, for Beast Boy to make a living as a comedian if he didn't have any superpowers.

"Well, Titans, it's time to check it out!" Cyborg announced, grinning like a proud father showing off his newborn baby.

Beast Boy got ready to charge in.

"Whoa there!" Cyborg exclaimed, grabbing him by the back of his shirt. "No stampeding in there like a bull! We spent ages building the tower, you know! No violence allowed in there!"

"Dude, I was just being excited!" Beast Boy protested in his innocent voice, spreading his hands.

Glaring at Beast Boy, Raven cuffed him on the ear.

"Hey!"

"Friends, why don't we enter into the house and check it out?" Starfire suggested brightly.

Chuckling, Cyborg led the way into the compound, using a series of high-tech keys and keycard locks to enter the house. Cheers and gasps of amazement and delight immediately rang out as they eagerly examined their new home. Beast Boy, as expected, was immediately drawn to the very large TV screen and the video games and CD's. Starfire hovered about in the kitchen to look for some food, while Terra decided to check out her very earthy-looking room. Only Raven seemed more aloof than usual, hanging back in silence.

_What's wrong? _

_Am I expected to yell and cheer and jump about like them? _Raven retorted.

_I never said that. Don't hide it, Raven. You know I know you better than that. Something's bothering you, right? _

_This tower is just too…well…_

_What? _

_When I saw a vision of Trigon on earth, he was sitting on a huge T-shaped building. And THIS is that building, I'm sure. What am I getting the Titans into? _

_You can't always act on your visions, you know, _Nightwalker said sensibly. _If you did, you'd get nowhere in life. I'm sure that meant nothing much. There could be plenty of other T-shaped towers in the world. _

_It was this one, _Raven insisted. _The location and everything here is exactly like the one I saw in that vision! I shouldn't…_

_Stop worrying for once. We've just joined the team, remember? How can you even think about leaving now? _

_It's for their good, remember. _

_Enough of that, _Nightwalker said mildly. _Don't live your life like that. Besides, I'm sure we can take care of it together when it comes. Now, why don't we go check out our rooms? _

With obvious reluctance, Raven walked down the corridors with Nightwalker until they found the doors that bore their name. As the door to Raven's room slid open, she noted with relief that her room had been done up the way she had wanted it to be. The walls and ceiling were painted black, and the very few furnishings somber and somewhat colourless. Later on, she would add the remaining necessities according to her taste.

Nightwalker's room had been done according to his liking too, the walls and ceiling a shade of dark blue. Two large bowls of water had been placed on the side table, just as he had requested. The bed cover was of a similar shade, and embroidered with the Azarathian symbols of the six elements. Looking at each other, Raven and Nightwalker gave each other a look of mutual satisfaction.

"At least it's been done up to our liking," Raven said.

"What, you were afraid that it wouldn't be?"

Starfire came flying towards them at that moment, her face all smiles. "Friends, how do you like your rooms?" she asked cheerfully. "Do you like them?"

"It's good enough," Raven replied politely.

"And so is mine," Nightwalker added.

"Do you want to check out the rest of the house too?"

"We'll come in…"

They were interrupted at that moment by a deafeningly loud alarm which reverberated throughout the entire Tower, followed by the flashes of a brilliant red siren. Starfire gasped aloud, her bright green eyes widening as she exclaimed, "That means there is another bad guy in the city! Cyborg installed that alarm to warn us."

"Titans!" Robin's voice could already be heard bellowing orders loudly. "There's a villain on the loose! Let's move!"

In a flash, Raven, Nightwalker and Starfire flew out into the main hall, where Robin, Terra, Cyborg and Beast Boy had already congregated. The seven of them cast each other a single look, and in unison, they begin to head to the door.

"Titans, go!"

**Yup, I know this was short, but then, it was a really last-minute idea, since I thought I'd better mention how they first got their home and all. **

**Thank you very much to everyone who reviewed! **

**DreamChaser****: good question. I haven't really thought about whether to show that moment between Robin and Raven yet. I'll see how things go, and I'll put it in if I think it suits the flow. **


	39. Training

_**~Several weeks later~**_

"Morning, Titans. Come on! Wake up! It's time for a training session!"

Groaning, Beast Boy turned over on his bed and covered his head with his pillow, muttering something under his breath. It was a Sunday morning, cold and gloomy, and he was sure there wasn't a single Titan in the tower who wanted to get up at that hour just to train.

"It's such a glorious morning, friends!" Starfire's voice, bright and cheerful as ever, rang out after Robin's. "Come, let's spend the morning doing the training!"

"Why on _Sunday_ morning?" Beast Boy muttered, pressing his face into the pillow. "Doesn't anyone here care that I need my beauty sleep? How many times is Robin going to wake us up at _six _in the morning? For the rest of our lives?"

As if responding to Beast Boy, Raven used her telekinesis to open his door, looking expressionless as usual. Nightwalker was standing just several feet behind her. Without any mercy whatsoever, Raven strode over to Beast Boy and grabbed his blanket firmly, yanking it away sharply.

"Hey! I could get frostbite, you know!"

"Yeah, and I can already see you turning blue," Raven said sarcastically. "Get out of there and put on a jumper, then."

"Brrr." Beast Boy shivered noticeably as he huddled up on himself. "Does Robin have to be so cruel? Can't he give us just an hour more of sleep?"

"Dude!" It was Cyborg's turn to appear at Beast Boy's door now, hands on his hips. "What are you? Sleeping Beauty? Get out of there, man! Come on!"

Beast Boy groaned aloud.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Without a word of warning, Raven surrounded Beast Boy with a blast of telekinetic energy and lifted him up from his bed. Beast Boy gave a yell of protest and began to squirm like an angry child, arms and legs wagging comically. Cyborg snorted, rolling his eyes as he went to fetch a jumper for Beast Boy, muttering something about messy cupboards and lazy comrades before tossing Beast Boy a thick black jumper.

"Put it on, and eat quick. Don't keep us waiting."

"Awww. No rest even on a Sunday."

"We're crime fighters," Raven said. "Since when did it become possible for us to really take a break?"

"You've got to be kidding me," Beast Boy grumbled, pulling the jumper over his head.

"Whatever. Hurry up now, slowpoke."

Yawning and rubbing his eyes, Beast Boy reluctantly dragged his feet out of the room, following his comrades to the dining room for a breakfast of tofu and fruits. Cyborg, as usual, gorged on a huge meal of bacon and eggs and steak, eating three times as much as everyone else. Starfire munched away on some pancakes smeared with thick layers of mustard and peanut butter and a lump of greenish paste which she said was a traditional Tamaranean sauce. She cheerfully offered some to her friends, but the sight of the green paste was more than enough to obtain an immediate refusal.

"Finished yet?"

"Robin!" Starfire chomped down a final piece of pancake and flew over to him as he entered. "Don't you want to eat the breakfast first?"

"I've already eaten."

"Dude, what time did you get up, then?" Beast Boy demanded.

"And hour before this. I had to look up something about a villain."

"You never rest much, do you?" Nightwalker commented.

"Not if I can help it," Robin replied seriously. "Come on. Let's start the training!"

"Out in this weather?" Beast Boy protested.

"Don't forget that Nightwalker is a pyrokinetic, buddy," Terra said. "All you'll need is a little fire to warm you up, and you won't even remember the cold."

"And the training will make you warm too, don't forget," Cyborg added.

Beast Boy yawned, not bothering to cover his mouth. With a grunt, he finished the rest of his breakfast and slowly made his way to the training-ground with the others. It was still largely dark, but Cyborg had fitted very good lights all over, making sure the darkness was no hindrance to the early morning sessions.

"The crime rate in the city has been going up drastically," Robin said, once everyone had gathered. "I've been reading the news daily, and more and more criminals are out there. Even the police can barely manage to keep up with everything. Titans, we'll have to train more than ever. Not all those villains are just ordinary people."

"In other words, there are some with superpowers, like us?" Raven said.

"Indeed. Not even the SWAT team can deal with them. In the end, it's really up to us to stop them." Robin smacked a fist into the flat of his palm. "And if we're to stop them, we'll have to bring up our level."

The Titans nodded in unison.

"I know I've been pushing you all very hard these past few weeks, but it's all for the greater good," Robin went on, his eyes lingering longer on Beast Boy. "During my research, I've found out that many of the villains we've faced in the past are long-time criminals who've escaped from prison more times than we have fingers. And more of them are emerging."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's train!" Cyborg hollered.

With the exception of Beast Boy, Raven and Nightwalker everyone else seemed surprisingly enthusiastic about it. Starfire pumped her fist in the air and cheered loudly, and all seven of them moved to their usual spot. Cyborg had set up things so that each Titan had a certain area designated just for each individual, the equipment suited to their special powers. Robin was the first to start, sparring furiously with the wooden dolls that popped up from trap doors in the ground. Starfire generated two starbolts in her hands and waited for the obstacles to show up before she began to pelt them heavily. Around them, the other Titans leaped into action as well, utilizing their powers to the full. With so many past crimes ingrained in their memories, it was not hard at all to draw out wells of anger and frustration, taking it out on the obstacles, fighting as if their lives depended on it.

They trained until sweat dampened their skin, and they were impervious to the cold biting their skin. Curls of misty white vapour drifted out of their mouths as they breathed in and out deeply. As Beast Boy opened his mouth to ask if anyone was in the mood for vegetarian pizzas, the all-too familiar sound of a siren pierced their eardrums, reminding them that it was never too early for criminals to strike. On the alert at once, Robin and the Titans dashed back into the Tower to discover the location of the emergency.

"Criminals never take a break, do they?" Cyborg remarked dryly, staring at the screen which displayed a huge crime scene going on at a local bank. "Even at seven in the morning."

"And that's why they're criminals," Robin said fiercely. "Let's move, Titans!"

**Yup, sorry, I know these few chapters have been boring, but I think it's important to sort of show the Titans together and their bonding time .You know, some day-to-day stuff since they can't spend every second fighting. **

**TheDreamChaser****: No worries! Since you've disabled the private messaging thing, I'll be answering your questions, here then. The X-Men will be sort of appearing again very soon! **

**Please review! **


	40. Who is Slade?

The security guards in the bank had all been taken down, and were lying immobile on the ground. If it were not for their shallow breathing, they could have been mistaken for corpses awaiting their funeral. Robin knelt down to check the pulse of one of them, then straightened himself, face grim. No-one else was around, as far as he could see.

"They're all alive," Raven confirmed. "I can still feel their auras. But they're not going to be able to do anything for now. Someone's given them a pretty good thrashing."

Beast Boy morphed into a dog and raised his head, sniffing the air vigorously. As the other watched in anticipation, Beast Boy's eyes widened with excitement, and he hastily morphed back into his human form.

"I can smell people over there!" he said excitedly, pointing in an easterly direction. "Lots of them! It's time for some major butt-kicking!"

"Oh yes!" Starfire agreed. "Let us go kick the butt again!"

"Titans, go!" Robin barked.

All seven of them charged forward, ears and eyes open every second. Though they moved in complete silence, it seemed that someone had already been keeping an eye on them. Robin jerked to a sudden stop and held up his hand, and his comrades immediately applied their own brakes as well, halting abruptly. Seven or eight shadowy figures loomed up before them, and Robin tensed, his hand flying to his stick.

"Who's this?" A man's deep voice resonated from the distance, his figure concealed by the shadows. "A new bunch of security guards who've come to stop us? May I add that you have the…most eye-catching uniforms I've ever seen?"

"Dude, we're the Teen Titans!" Beast Boy blurted out. "Not security guards! And our uniforms are cool!"

Raven elbowed him in the side, hard, glaring at him sideways.

"Insignificant bugs." The man gave his arm a casual wave as if to brush aside a troublesome fly. "Get rid of them and finish our business here."

The sound of guns being cocked echoed throughout the dark building. Raven immediately raised her hands, ready to fling up a shield. She heard fingers being pressed on the triggers, and she reacted immediately, producing a shield around everyone.

But what came out from the guns were not what anyone expected them to be. Instead of hearing bullets whining past them, the Titans heard a pulsating sound from all around, followed by a tremendous vibration in the air that swarmed over Raven's shield, almost breaking it with unbelievable force. Beast Boy gave a squeal of shock, flinching.

"What was _that_?"

"Shockwaves," Cyborg said. "Looks like someone issued them with the latest shockwave guns."

"But who could have done that?" Terra asked. "I thought they could only be purchased with special permission from the authorities!"

"Well, they're criminals," Robin said. "And criminals will find any way to get their hands on firearms illegally. Cyborg, anything more we should know about those shockwave guns?"

"Keep away from them!" was Cyborg's reply, as the barrage of shockwaves ceased at last, and Raven dispelled the shield.

As the seven of them split up, another series of shockwaves pulsated towards them. The Titans immediately used all their skills to dodge, thankfully missing being blasted to pieces by the force of it. The shockwaves struck the walls behind them, and there was a hideous crashing sound as the walls caved in, unable to withstand the impact. With a yell of shock, Terra and Nightwalker immediately used a combination of earth and metal manipulation to keep their comrades from being crushed.

Hearing the chaos, the bank robbers finally stepped out of the shadows and surveyed the scene before them calmly. All of them were wearing black, dark glasses over their eyes. Their guns were still cocked and ready to be fired. Nightwalker took one look at them, and without a word, he made a sharp gesture with his wrist, lifting up the guns from their hands. Jaws dropped and eyes bulged as Nightwalker calmly snapped the guns into small pieces, letting them drop uselessly to the floor.

"What the…"

"Heh! I told you we're the Teen Titans!" Beast Boy announced proudly.

"Who…"

"Titans, go!" Robin roared.

The robbers immediately grappled furiously for their remaining weapons as the seven Titans charged forward in unison from all directions. A series of rocks, starbolts and cannon blasts were generously dealt to them, taking them down without any difficulty. Robin and Beast Boy moved amongst the robbers gracefully amidst the chaos, using brute strength to knock them unconscious. Raven helped them by using her telekinesis to keep the robbers in place, ensuring their movements were severely restricted. Once everyone was down, Nightwalker completed the mission by casting water over them, freezing them all to the ground.

"All down. Good work, Titans."

"Now, all we need to do is find out who supplied them with those shockwave guns," Cyborg said.

"Raven, you can read their minds and find out, yes?" Starfire said hopefully.

"I think so." Kneeling down by one of the men, Raven placed a hand on his temple and shut her eyes.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" For several moments, Raven's eyes glowed with an eerie white light as she concentrated on the task at hand. Job done, she withdrew her mind and stood up again.

"It seems it was a guy named Slade who made a deal of some sort with them," Raven replied. "His face was hidden in shadows, so no-one saw his profile. That's all I gathered."

"Slade." Robin repeated the name as if it were sour vinegar on his tongue. "Some fancy name."

"Who's this Slade guy, anyway?" Terra asked, echoing the question that was already in everyone's mind.

But to that, no-one had an answer.

**The X-Men MAY be appearing in the next chapter, if the flow goes as plans! **

**TheDreamChaser****: Nah, that's OK. I think it'll be easier to answer your questions here, if you don't mind. **


	41. Glimpse of an Old Friend

Whistling cheerfully, the notorious killer only known as 'the Dark One' wiped his bloody knife on his handkerchief before holding it out at his fire lighter, surrendering it to the small tongue of gold flame. Knife tucked in his belt, well-concealed by his long black coat, the Dark One slipped his hands into his pockets and began a casual walk down the streets and away from the bloody scene left in his wake. He felt nothing, no fear, no guilt. Killing was as familiar as a friend to him. Nor did he have to worry about being caught by the police. No-one could find him unless he wanted to be found.

As he turned down into a dark alley where he could be alone with his thoughts, a shadowy figure suddenly loomed up before him, so suddenly that the Dark One could have sworn the figure had materialized himself out of thin air. The Dark One stopped in his tracks, keeping his expression carefully neutral even as his hand slipped down to his belt, gripping the hilt of his long knife.

"You're the Dark One, aren't you?"

"Introduce yourself first before you ask for my name."

As bizarre as it was, the darkness suddenly cleared away as if a thousand torches had been lit. The Dark One blinked, trying to adjust to the sudden lack of darkness. He thought someone had turned on a street light there, and he was therefore extremely surprised to see that there was none.

The man who stood before him was clad completely in black and dark blue, his garments the strangest the Dark One had ever seen. One eye was blue, and the other black. The Dark One said nothing, only stood gazing back at him calmly.

"Your time is up, murderer," the heterochromatic man said coldly. "You may have evaded justice for five years, but today, you're going to jail."

"Undercover cop, are you?"

"Not at all, actually."

"Then I trust you don't have a gun with you." With that, the Dark One abandoned his knife and whipped out his pistol, pointing it straight at his opponent's head. Not giving him time to think, the Dark One cocked the gun and pulled the trigger.

Instead of hitting the odd-eyed man as it should have, the bullet halted in mid-air as if it had just struck an invisible wall. As the Dark One stood gaping at it, the bullet dropped helplessly to the ground, while the gun suddenly flew out of his hand. It hovered in mid-air for several seconds, then, incredibly, it snapped into two.

"What the? What kind of f…"

"Freak I am?"

The Dark One immediately bolted, knowing he could not stand up against a man who could stop bullets and break guns without even touching them.

"Going somewhere?"

"Ahh!" The Dark One braked his feet as hard as he could as a spiky-haired boy suddenly loomed up before him, arms folded across his chest. Grabbing his knife, he held it out before him, the blade flashing in the sunlight.

"You'll need more than that to avoid jail."

"Who are…"

"We're the Teen Titans!" a green-skinned boy announced proudly. "And you bad guys had better get used to hearing that name!"

"Titans, go!"

The Dark One tried to move, but with seven people surrounding him, there was nowhere to go.

It didn't take more than half a minute for the killer to be knocked unconscious and tied up as the Titans awaited the police's arrival.

* * *

"Oooh yeah! Who's in the mood for pizza?"

"Oooh! Me, me!" Starfire cheered excitedly, clapping her hands. "It has been so long since we've eaten the pizza. Let us get some pizza with plenty of mustard and butter of peanut!"

"And plenty of meeeatt" Cyborg hollered.

"No meat!" Beast Boy groaned.

Exchanging a friendly fire of arguing back and forth, the Titans headed to the nearest pizza shop for a snack.

"Mmm!" Starfire grabbed the mustard bottle and squirted more of the yellow paste onto her pizza, apparently not noticing the look of disgust on her comrades' faces. "Mustard! I love mustard! Is there any more?"

"I think you'll have to ask the shopkeeper for that," Robin said.

Starfire immediately rushed over into the shop, her loud and exuberant voice audible even from a mile away.

"She and her mustard," Terra chuckled.

Starfire took her time coming out, and when she did emerge again, she was carrying five huge bottles of mustard, her face all smiles. The Titans looked at her, and their jaws dropped.

"Starfire! Are you really eating all of _that_?" Terra spluttered.

"Oh yes!" Starfire beamed. "Unless you want some, of course?"

"Uh, no thanks!" Beast Boy hastily replied. "I'm happy with my tofu sandwich being the way it is now."

Smiling, Nightwalker cut out another piece of pizza with the knife and bit into it.

_Feels good, doesn't it? _he said to Raven.

_To eat pizza? _

_No! I mean, to have friends like them. _

_I suppose so, _Raven replied guardedly.

_Don't deny it. I don't even have to be a telepath to guess what you're feeling, you know. Even if you don't want to admit it, you're happy with them, aren't you? _

_Been reading my mind, Nightwalker? _

_Wouldn't even dream of it. _

Raven almost seemed to be chuckling slightly in her mind, if laughing telepathically was possible.

_I'm not going to speak for you, but speaking for myself, I'm happy enough with the Titans, _Nightwalker went on. _In fact, I think I can even safely call them my friends now. _He glanced sideways at Raven slyly.

_And you're expecting me to say the same thing? _Raven retorted.

_That's up to you, isn't it? _

Raven was about to reply, when her stance suddenly stiffened as if she had just been shot. Too busy eating and laughing and cracking jokes, the others didn't notice, but Nightwalker did.

_Something wrong? _

_Yes! I can feel their presence! They're nearby! _

_Who? _Nightwalker demanded.

_The X-Men! _

_

* * *

_

"I vote we go to the Love Me shop now!"

"No, no, I say we go to the Pretty Lady shop first!"

Scott chuckled as Kitty and Rahne began an argument about which clothes shop they were to go to first. At his side, Jean smiled and shook her head slightly, her lips curved into a smile.

"Girls," Scott grinned, as he rolled his eyes. "Experts in the art of fashion and arguing which shop should be visited first."

"And experts in looking pretty," Bobby put in slyly.

"Whatever." Amara glared at him and poked him in the side.

Grinning, Jean cleared her throat and said, "Since we can't exactly agree which shop to head to first, why don't we go grab a pizza first? I don't think anyone here has eaten yet, and I'm starving!"

"Oh yeah! Pizzas! Mmm!" Kitty's eyes were like stars in her head. "There's a great pizza shop nearby here. Let's head there!" Laughing, she ran down the street, and the others followed her.

With a gasp, Kitty suddenly stopped and gasped.

"What's the matter?" Scott demanded.

"Look!" Kitty gasped, pointing. "Doesn't that look like Rachel? That one in black?"

"It…" Jean's eyes bulged in her head as she stared at the girl's retreating dark figure. "Oh my goodness! I think it _is _her! Come on!"

The X-Men ran as hard as they could, but Rachel and her companions already had a huge head start, and were moving fast – too fast. As Kitty yelled Rachel's name, ignoring the stares that were flung her way, Rachel and her group turned left into a dark alleyway. Panting from the exertion, Kitty sped forward, one arm extended forward as she picked up the pace for several meters before veering to the left sharply.

"Rachel! Arrrgh!"

"Is she…" Rahne demanded.

"She's gone again!" Kitty gasped.

"And why do I get the feeling she's deliberately trying to avoid us?" Scott muttered.

"You're not being serious!" Kitty exclaimed.

Jean shook her head as she took a slow walk around the alley, using her telepathy to try and sense Rachel's presence. "She really is gone," she confirmed, as Amara cast her a hopeful look. "And it seems that Rachel has found herself some new friends too."


	42. Fierce Fight

The villains were like no other villains the Titans had fought. The trio was fast, lethal and efficient, and the Titans, grimacing, realized they had more on their hands than they had originally thought.

One villain was a super-speedy man with a habit of talking equally fast. The second was a sound user capable of producing soundwaves with sufficient force to deafen everyone within range. And the third was a powerful energy user, just like Starfire.

"Any idea how to stop these guys before we embarrass ourselves in front of everyone?" Beast Boy grumbled.

"If we had the answer, we wouldn't be getting our butts kicked like this," Robin replied impatiently, as the group retreated behind a building, trying to calm their racing minds.

"The problem isn't that they're too powerful for us to handle, I think," Nightwalker said. "The issue here is that they know how to work as a team, complimenting each other's strengths."

"And your point is?"

"As long as they're together, we'll be going nowhere with our mode of attack," Nightwalker replied. "I think it's time we change our pattern, Titans. Instead of just trying to attack them directly the way we've been doing, why don't we simply try to split them up and take them down one at a time?"

"I think that sounds like a plan," Cyborg agreed.

"Me too," Terra echoed.

"If that's the case…" Nightwalker begin.

An energy blast released from one of the villains smashed into the building by their backs, liberating countless kilograms of glass and metal. Raven hurriedly flung up a shield above their heads, blocking the debris just in time. As a second wave of attacks followed, the seven of them hastily moved out of the way, breaking apart. Not wishing to yell out his plans for the world to hear, Nightwalker addressed them telepathically, _Titans, take them down one by one! Let's stop that sound guy first. One more of his soundwaves, and we might find ourselves out cold. _

_And how do we stop him? _Raven demanded.

_Sound doesn't travel through a vacuum, remember? The best thing we can do is put him in a vacuum space. If you guys can stop him from moving around, I'll use my powers to draw all the air away from his surroundings. Keep the other two away from him as long as you can. _

_Good idea, _Robin said. _Titans, go! Keep that sound guy where he is! Don't let him move around! _

Nightwalker positioned himself where he could see the sound guy, and prepared to make his move. The rest of his comrades spread out around the villains, then leaped into action. Ignoring the other two, Terra created a giant earth hand and used it to hold their target in place, squeezing him hard. He automatically opened his mouth to spew out another soundwave, but Nightwalker saw it coming, and immediately sent out a water whip towards his lips, freezing the water to seal the villain's mouth.

Swearing, the other two criminals lunged towards their comrade, one of them forming an energy blast in his hand. But Starfire was ready for it, and attacked him first, pelting him so generously with his starbolts that he was forced to retreat. Cyborg backed her up in seconds, sending out a powerful blast from his sonic cannon.

_Don't forget to keep the other one away as well_, Nightwalker instructed.

_On it_, Raven responded fiercely.

Without warning, the speedy villain begin to move, so fast that Raven barely had time to respond. He did not attack straightaway, but moved back a distance to gain momentum before charging forward like a whirlwind, aiming straight towards Starfire, Terra and Cyborg. Robin, Raven and Beast Boy struggled to position themselves right, their eyes unable to even keep up with the villain's movements. He was already inches away from his targets now, who were too occupied with holding off their current opponent to do much against him. Desperate, frantic, Raven produced a shield directly in front of him, hoping with all her heart that it would stop him in time.

It worked, much to her relief, and the villain actually flew backwards from the impact. Not wanting to give him a chance, Robin charged forward with Beast Boy by his side, the latter in the form of a lion. As their opponent struggled to regain his balance, Robin launched himself into the air, determined to take down his enemy in one blow. But Robin's opponent was no rookie in the art of fighting, and somehow managed to twist sideways in time. Shooting a furious glance at Raven, he decided to go for her first. With a loud battle-cry, he dashed forward with his ridiculous speed, barrelling right into her with frightening force.

Taken by surprise, Raven had no time to react to it. She felt the impact of a powerful blow on her body, and then a tremendous punch landed on her head as well. The pain was almost beyond anything she had felt in a very long time. A wave of giddiness, almost stronger than the pain, kneaded her temples furiously with iron-hard fingers, and Raven groaned as stars and blurry lines filled her field of vision. Someone was shouting her name, but it sounded so very far away. Her world was spinning, and she felt the ground giving way beneath her feet.

"Help Raven!" someone was yelling, the voice empty and distant. Raven wondered privately if she was somehow being sucked into another world. And she was feeling so giddy, so tired. Would it be wrong for her to take a quick break while her friends fought on around her?

Unable to think or resist any further, Raven sighed and let darkness bear her away into a universe of oblivion.

* * *

"Did you hear the latest news?" Excited and startled, Kitty burst into the living room where the other X-Men were lazing around, her hair streaming out behind her.

"You mean the news about the new super-powered guys?" Bobby asked.

"Duh! What else could it be?" Ray asked.

"They're calling themselves the Teen Titans, apparently," Rahne voiced out. "And it seems they're making a living out of kicking criminals' butts."

"I don't think making a living is the right way to describe them," Roberto said. "So far, they seem to be pretty elusive. I hardly think someone is paying them for that sort of thing!"

"Well, you know what I mean," Rahne retorted, rolling her eyes.

"Anyway, what's up with all that excitement?" Amara asked Kitty. "I think all of us already know about these Teen Titans."

"Because I think Rachel is involved with them!"

"What?" Amara exclaimed. "What do you mean? How can you know that?"

"I was just watching the latest news," Kitty said, her eyes sparkling. "Someone managed to get a brief video of some of them. I couldn't see all their faces, but I think I caught a quick glimpse of Rachel! And remember that day, when we thought we saw Rachel in that pizza shop? I'm sure the people with her back then were the ones caught in that footage!"

"Are you sure about that?" Ray asked, sounding mildly suspicious.

"Of course I'm sure!" Kitty retorted. "I've got two eyes in my head, haven't I?"

"Well…" Bobby looked round at the others with raised eyes, and noticed the same expression on everyone's faces. "Then I'm guessing we can bid farewell to our hopes of getting Rachel back. Seems she's found herself some new friends and a new team."

To that, no-one could object.

**Sorry, I know this was short, but then, it was a last-minute insertion…again. I thought it was about time I showed some sweet Raven moments that'll continue in the next chapter. **

**TheDreamChaser: Yes, there'll be some romance coming up VERY soon, in fact. But, given Raven's so-serious nature, and all that, it'll be very light and mild, since I just can't see her getting all lovey-dovey with anyone. **


	43. Doctor in the House

"How is she?"

"She's not looking too good," Cyborg said gloomily, peering at the machines and monitors buzzing around their fallen friend. "Her heart rate and breathing seem to be fine, as far as I can tell, but her body isn't recovering as it should."

Starfire gasped aloud, her eyes wider than plates.

"Star, calm down," Cyborg said. "I didn't say she's dying. She's simply not healing well, that's all."

"Can't you do anything more?" Robin urged.

"I'm already trying my best," Cyborg replied. "And I'm not a doctor. The only thing we can really do is to send her to hospital if…"

"No!" Nightwalker interrupted, so sharply that everyone immediately turned round to look at him. He had entered the medical room so quietly that no-one had even noticed him. "That's _not _an option. Don't take her to the hospital, understand?"

Taken aback by his sharp, vehement tone, Beast Boy frowned. "Dude, what's up with you?" he demanded. "We're only trying to help her!"

Nightwalker sighed and made an effort to lower his voice. "And so do I," he said, forcing calm into his tone. "Trust me on this one. She's better off staying here, not in a public medical centre."

"And why is that?" Terra asked. "None of us here are doctors, you know."

"I've known Raven for longer than you all," Nightwalker reminded them. "And believe me, taking her to hospital is _not _a good idea at all."

"Because?" Robin enquired, eyebrows raised.

"Don't ask."

Robin glanced round at the others, clearly seeking their opinion.

"She's not going to die," Nightwalker added defensively, sensing their line of thoughts. "Anyway, I can help her. Our old mentor taught me how to use water as a healing agent. I think I can heal her sufficiently to speed up her natural healing process."

"Really?" Beast Boy exclaimed. "Cool! I never knew we had another doctor in the house!"

"It's not doctoring," Nightwalker said. "It's simply a matter of using water as a mean to transfer and restore Raven's energy flow. Nothing more. I can't heal her completely. I can only aid the healing process." Positioning himself on the bed near Raven's head, Nightwalker crossed his legs and levitated several centimetres above the mattress. He removed the flask of water that he never failed to carry around, and streamed the water out of it, placing his hands on either side of Raven's head. Water followed the motion of his hands, floating around Raven's temples.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

The Titans stood by watching in awe as the water begin to glow with a brilliant bluish-white light. Raven moaned and shifted slightly, but other than that, there was no other indication of consciousness.

"She's going to be fine, yes?" Starfire said anxiously.

"Oh yes," Nightwalker replied. "Raven's tougher than iron, believe me. It'll take much more than just a blow to the head to stop her."

"So, what will it take to stop her, then?" Beast Boy asked, joking as usual.

"I can't answer that," Nightwalker replied, his expression darkening as if he had found Beast Boy's question to be offensive.

"You really care for Raven, don't you?" Terra couldn't help remarking.

"She's been my friend for a long time, yes."

"I don't mean that, and you know it."

"And your point is?"

"You _like _her, don't you?" Beast Boy grinned slyly.

Nightwalker narrowed his eyes slightly, though he kept his gaze fixed on Raven.

"BB." Robin elbowed him in the side, casting him a warning glance. "This isn't the right time to make jokes."

"Oh, that doesn't bother me," Nightwalker replied wearily. "Anything's better than acting all grim and weepy here."

"Well, you did say that Raven isn't dying," Cyborg pointed out. "As long as nothing worse happens to her, we'll be fine too."

_Thank goodness for such good friends_, Nightwalker thought.

"Is there anything else we can do for her?" Starfire asked.

"It'll be good if you can feed her some porridge," Nightwalker replied. "Just a little, not too much."

"I'll take care of that," Robin said, heading off to the kitchen. "I think there's still a good deal of rice left in the sack."

"Wait for me!" Beast Boy hollered, running after Robin. "Some tofu would be good too!"

"You and your tofu," Cyborg grumbled, with a good-natured roll of his eyes.

One by one, the Titans left quietly, not wanting to disturb Raven. Nightwalker almost felt a sense of relief that he could finally be alone with Raven. Looking down at her and her paler-than-usual face, a mixture of worry and relief overcame him.

It was most unfortunate – and dangerous, that Raven had been knocked unconscious during the peak of the battle with the trio. Nightwalker could still recall the moment vividly, the point in time when Raven had stood swaying where she was before crashing to the ground. The Titans had almost gone mad with worry and rage, and had put up the most spectacular fight Nightwalker had seen. In the end, taking down the villains hadn't been too hard after all. With the battle over at last, Nightwalker had scooped up Raven in his arms and flew home with more speed than he realized he possessed, while the Titans had hopped into Cyborg's car and rushed home after him. By the time they had reached the Tower, Nightwalker had already laid Raven on the bed in the medical room. It was Cyborg who had then hooked her up to all those electrodes and machines to monitor her vital signs.

What was wrong with him? Not for the first time in his life, Nightwalker had nearly lost control of his emotions when he had seen Raven fall. It had taken all his self-will to keep himself calm before he unleashed catastrophe upon everyone around him. Karzor would certainly have quite a bit to say to him had he seen Nightwalker in that state.

_I'm being a fool! _Nightwalker thought to himself. _I told the Titans that it would take much more than a bang on the head to stop Raven! And all the while, I myself was going frantic with worry! _Grimacing, and feeling more than a little foolish, Nightwalker tried to exit his train of thoughts and concentrate on the task at hand.

_You like her, don't you? _

It was most unfortunate that he had to recall Beast Boy's words at this moment. Worse still, Nightwalker was forced to admit that Beast Boy's question had elicited in him an emotion he never thought to feel. How odd, he thought, that such a simple statement was enough to evoke such feelings in him.

_Fool_, he told himself sternly. _You fool! So what if Beast Boy thinks that? He's just a jokester who'd make fun of absolutely everything around him! It's not up to him to decide what you feel. _

And yet, Nightwalker was forced to admit, there were times when he wondered how far his relationship with Raven was destined to go. Karzor and Clelo had both mentioned more times than he could count that he and Raven were bound together for the rest of their lives, not that Nightwalker could see how or why. Yes, he and Raven were indeed close friends, but it went nowhere beyond that. Karzor and Clelo had almost made it sound as if they were fated to be lovers in a classic romantic fairy-tale where the hero and heroine always ended up living happily ever after…

_Sheesh! _Furious at himself for even letting his thoughts drift in that direction, Nightwalker ended his train of thoughts and shifted his hands slightly.

_Nightwalker? Is that you? Are you there? _

_I'm here. Raven, are you conscious already? Can you hear me? Can you move? _

_No, I can't move yet, and yes, I'm conscious enough to know what's happening around me. With Beast Boy and our 'sweet' friends making so much noise, remaining completely oblivious isn't exactly an option, you know. _

Nightwalker felt his lips curving upwards in a small smile. _Ah well, that's what you get when Beast Boy decides to bring out his potent arsenal of jokes. Are you feeling better? _

_My head's as sore as a whipped donkey, but yet, I'm feeling better. Thanks. Looks like Karzor taught you well.  
_

_He did. Do you want some porridge? _

_Can't really say no, can I, after our friends are so busy in the kitchen with their cooking? _

_So, you heard every word of the conversation earlier? _Nightwalker felt his heart lurch at the thought of Raven overhearing what Beast Boy had said about liking her.

_Most of it. Why? _

_I'm only hoping I did the right thing in stopping them from taking you to hospital, _Nightwalker replied, quickly coming up with a decent enough answer.

_I don't need to go to one. Nor do I want to, anyway. You, of all people, know why I can't. _

_Why else you think I wouldn't let them? _Nightwalker returned dryly, thankful that Raven didn't seem interested in mentioning anything about Beast Boy's absurd question.

**TheDreamChaser: Heh heh. I think this chapter might answer part of your question about the pairing, yes? **

**As to any other possible pairings…well, there won't be much romance in this story, so don't ya worry about explicit RobStar stuff. I'm not really a fan of them either! :)**


	44. Blorthog

"Blorthog!" Starfire was the first to awake that morning, more cheerful and enthusiastic than usual. Giggling and laughing, she began to fetch all she needed for the others: beads, flowers, candies and ribbons. Loaded with them, Starfire skipped out of her room in a very high mood.

"Friends!" she called out. "Good morning all! Happy Blorthog Day!"

"Huh? What's going on?" Rubbing his eyes, still a little bleary-looking, Robin emerged from his room, yawning. "What's all this about Blorthog day?"

"It is the day when we celebrate our friendship with each other!" Starfire beamed. "A very special day for my people. Come, Robin, let us wake the others and celebrate this joyous day! And let us take this opportunity to celebrate Raven's recovery as well!"

"Um, Starfire, it's barely six o'clock."

"What's going on here?" Awakened by the sound of Starfire's loud and cheerful voice, Cyborg stalked into the main hall, yawning loudly. "Star? What's up with all those things?"

"Today is Blorthog day! The day my people celebrate friendship!"

"Oh!" Cyborg was looking more puzzled than excited, but he was polite enough to smile. "Celebrate friendship? Hmmm." His expression began to brighten. "Ah, now that I think about it, we've never truly acknowledged it, have we?" His eyes twinkling, he and Starfire gave each other a high five. "Bring it on, Star!"

Caught up between the two very enthusiastic people, Robin could only stand by awkwardly.

Together, Starfire and Cyborg worked hard to decorate the main hall, with Robin offering help and advice from the sidelines. Ribbons, flowers and balloons were hung up until the hall looked more like a party room than anything else. As Starfire and Cyborg finished arranging some food on the table, the door slid open, and Beast Boy came in with Terra.

"Morning!" Terra smiled, stretching. "What's up for…whoaaa! What's all this for?"

Beast Boy was already hovering around the table like a dog, eyeing the food. "Cooool!" he was saying, eyes sparkling like diamonds. "Tofu and more tofu! Thanks, Cy! You just made my day!"

"Terra, Beast Boy, good morning!" Starfire clasped her hands together and flew over to them. "Happy Blorthog day! Will you come and join in the celebrations?"

"Blorthog day? Celebrations?" Beast Boy echoed, feeling a little foolish.

"Apparently, it's the day when Tamaraneans celebrate friendship," Robin replied.

"Sweet." Terra smiled, her expression one of amusement. "I didn't realize your people had such a celebration."

"In Tamaran, friendship is one of the most important things that exist." Starfire flew over to the table and selected what looked like a piece of pastry with long green strands sticking out. "Here, try this."

"What's this?" Terra asked, looking at it suspiciously.

"It's a traditional Tamaranean dish, _krothwar_," Starfire explained. "Made from the skin of the _tura _animal and soft roots from the _blawhor _tree."

"Oh." Poor Terra was not looking too pleased about it at all. But she didn't want to offend Starfire, and gingerly accepted the food from her. As her tongue came into contact with the _krothwar_, the strongest, most shocking flavour she had ever experienced overpowered her taste buds. Terra nearly felt as if steam would come billowing out of her ears any moment as she turned away and spewed out the _krothwar_ into a napkin, tears pouring down her eyes.

"And how do you like it?" Starfire grinned, apparently unaware of Terra's state.

"Not…too…bad," Terra choked, desperately looking round for water.

_Here_. Nightwalker kindly streamed some water into Terra's mouth, offering her some respite from the torture. Like everyone else, he seemed more amused than anything else.

"Would you like more?" Starfire offered.

Terra's eyes nearly bulged out of her head at that moment.

"No, no, I've had enough, thanks," she mumbled.

Chuckling, Cyborg carefully edged away from Starfire, trying to remain obscure for as long as possible.

"And now, friends, I shall sing a traditional Blorthog day song as well." Drawing in a deep breath, Starfire opened her mouth as wide as she could stretch it and released a single note so high-pitched and loud that the Titans thought they would walk away with burst eardrums and throbbing headaches. Starfire kept up the song, her voice sounding louder and more powerful than any thunder or gunshots.

For a good three minutes or so, she yelled – not sang – on, until the Titans were nearly unconscious from the sound of it. Seemingly unaware of their suffering, Starfire ended the song at last, and giggled merrily. "Well, friends? That is a beautiful song, is it not?"

"Oh yes," Cyborg replied mechanically, the ringing in his ears pounding rhythmically like waves upon the sand.

"Great…" Beast Boy said in a monotone, groaning softly.

"Interesting song," Terra mumbled, suffering doubly from the food _and _song.

"Then let us proceed to the next part," Starfire smiled. "This is the part when we exchange friendship beads with each other. I spent the whole of yesterday making them. Are they not pretty?" Beaming with pride at her handiwork, Starfire held them up. Blue and white beads had been threaded to make necklaces for all seven of them. With a sigh of relief, the Titans noted that there was nothing unusual or extreme about them, as far as they could see.

"Where did you get those beads from?" Nightwalker asked, his ears still throbbing.

"From Tamaran," Starfire replied proudly. "Made from the claws of dead _warkawk_ animal and painted with dye from the _frofbarg _tree."

"They're pretty, I must say," Terra said sincerely, as she eyed the beads with interest, relieved that the beads had no disgusting substance. Now she realized that the beads all had a pearly white and blue sheen, two colours combined in the beads depending on which angle they were viewed from. "If only the shops here sold beads like these."

"Oh, I can always get more of these the next time I go back to Tamaran," Starfire offered. "Now, according to the ritual, we must all place these necklaces on each other. This symbolizes the bond between us friends. Then it will be time to eat!" Making the first move, Starfire picked up one of the necklaces and placed it around Robin's neck.

Feeling slightly awkward, but cheerful enough about it, the others imitated her and began placing necklaces on each other's necks. Starfire clapped her hands with delight, and her lips stretched into a huge grin.

"Happy Blorthog Day, dear friends!" Giggling like a young child, she gave Robin a hug that squeezed all the air out of his lungs before embracing the other Titans one by one. "And now, let us eat! I have got candy and pastries and more _krothwar_."

"No tofu?" Beast Boy asked hopefully.

"I think there's plenty more in the fridge," Starfire replied helpfully. "I will get you some now."

Nearly drooling over the amount of candy and goodies, Cyborg snatched up a huge handful of lollies in a bowl and crammed them into his mouth greedily, like a starving beggar.

"Mmm. Yum yum!" he grunted. "Starfire, you even got my favourite flavours! You're the best!"

"Dude!" Beast Boy cried, waving his arms frantically. "Don't be so greedy! Leave some for me! These candies are my favourite too!"

"Then try to catch up with me!" Cyborg grinned.

"Uh." Raven rolled her eyes and pulled her face as Cyborg and Beast Boy began what looked like a candy-eating contest, both determined to outdo each other. "Looks like we have two little pigs in the house."

"And before we know it, none will be left for us," Nightwalker agreed, fingering the beads around his neck. Though not accustomed to wearing jewellery, he couldn't deny that the beads were indeed attractive.

Starfire soon returned with a huge bowl of tofu, and Beast Boy's eyes literally turned into stars. Deciding that tofu was still his favourite food after all, he abandoned the candies for the tofu, stuffing spoonfuls of them into his mouth so rapidly that it seemed a wonder he could swallow everything without choking.

"Raven, Nightwalker, do try some of these candies," Starfire said, extending a bowl towards them.

"Thanks." Nightwalker obligingly picked a handful of them, allowing himself to indulge a little. Raven, too, took a small handful, sucking on them and letting the flavour run over her tongue.

When the snacks were completely devoured, leaving behind no trace whatsoever, and the Titans could feel the bulge in their bellies, Starfire suggested they play some games. Beast Boy and Cyborg, of course, agreed enthusiastically, their eyes gleaming with challenge as they glanced at each other. Starfire returned to her room to fetch some board games which she said she had brought from Tamaran, and demonstrated the games to the others. It was a game like no other, involving much guessing as well as brain work. Robin took up the challenge, and was soon sitting opposite Starfire, his forehead creased with concentration. Terra, Cyborg and Beast Boy took up another table and played a game of three, frequently yelling and hooting or groaning. Only Raven and Nightwalker didn't participate, but observed from a distance.

"Raven, Nightwalker, do you not want to play?" Starfire asked.

"No thanks."

"Raven, is it because your head is still a little fuzzy from that incident?" Beast Boy asked.

Cyborg glared at him and cuffed him on the ear.

"Yeah, a week has passed, and I'm still affected. Of course," Raven retorted sarcastically.

The games ended with Starfire emerging as the victor, Cyborg being the other winner. Unsatisfied, Beast Boy challenged Cyborg to a rematch, while the other Titans looked around for another source of amusement. Cyborg soon won again, and Beast Boy conceded defeat reluctantly. By then, Starfire had located a huge collection of music CD's, and was excitedly blaring them on the stereo. Grabbing Terra by the hand, she pulled her into the middle of the floor and began a ridiculous-looking dance involving much swaying and jumping. As the others looked on with amusement, Starfire paused to wave to them.

"Come and join in!" Starfire urged them. "This is the _warbloth _dance, a traditional Tamaranean dancing style that celebrates joy and friendship!"

"I wouldn't be caught…" Beast Boy began, but Cyborg interrupted him by yanking him into the middle of the floor.

"Bull-yah! This is what I call _real _dancing!" Cyborg hooted.

Starfire gestured to Robin to join her, and Robin did so sheepishly, almost blushing like a man in love. Looking up, Starfire noticed that Raven and Nightwalker were not participating, and waved to them with her hand.

"Come join the dance! Do you not want to?"

"No thanks."

Starfire looked a little disappointed, but didn't seem offended. After all, she had long accustomed herself to Raven and Nightwalker's personalities. Shrugging, she resumed the dance, frequently swinging Robin around until his head was spinning like a top.

_Not bad, eh? _

_What? _Raven replied.

_Having friends like this. Heh. To think Tamaraneans even have a day to celebrate friendship. _

_Uh-huh. _

_Admit it. You're liking this, aren't you? _

_It isn't too bad_, Raven admitted.

The dance ended, Starfire took up position in the middle of floor and cupped her hands around her mouth. "Friends," she called out, "now it's time for the final part. This is the ritual in which we must _all _partake in. This ceremony will bind us together as friends for the rest of our lives. Come."

_Don't think we can say no to this, can we? _Nightwalker said dryly.

Almost smiling, Raven gave a brief nod and went to join her friends for the ceremony, deciding that no matter how ridiculous it could be, she would still do it anyway. After all, finding friends and comrades like the Titans wasn't the easiest thing in the world.

**Like it? Just to let you know, the Tamaranean vocab I mentioned is my creation. I hope the words sound Tamaranean enough! **

**And yes, this was based on the episode where that time traveller guy (forgot his name) came along. I decided to use that idea and give it a tweak. **


	45. Valentine's Day with Nightwalker

"Happy Valentine's Day!"

As usual, Starfire was the enthusiastic one, bellowing the greeting at the top of her lungs early in the morning. It was most fortunate that this time, the Titans were already beginning to wake up.

"Ack. Valentine's Day _again_," Raven grumbled, kicking away her blanket and sitting up.

Forgetting all his manners, Beast Boy burst into Raven's room just as she had finished washing herself. For once, he was not wearing his Doom Patrol uniform, but a much smarter outfit consisting of a black and white shirt and pants. Ignoring Raven's angry glare, he bared his white teeth in a sparkling grin and held out a thumb.

"Raven! Happy Valentine's Day!" he yelled. "Are you and Nightwalker going out on a date or something?"

"What – did – you – say?" Raven demanded, uttering the words one by one with deadly clarity.

"Uh. Heh." Beast Boy giggled nervously as Raven's eyes began to flash with a dangerous red light. "Uh, never mind. It was nothing important." With that, he hastily scuttled away.

"I heard what you said, you idiot," Raven muttered, rolling her eyes. "Sheesh. Can't you say something original for once in your life?"

When Raven entered the main hall, all the other Titans except Nightwalker were already gathered there. Everyone had donned fairly attractive outfits, even Cyborg. Terra and Starfire had abandoned their usual garments for more feminine clothes – Starfire was wearing a purple dress, and Terra an earth-coloured dress. Only Raven was dressed in her usual sombre black and dark blue outfit.

"Raven! You are not going to wear something pretty for this very special day?" Starfire asked.

"No." By the looks of it, Raven guessed that the Titans would definitely be spending half the day dating. Of course, Robin would be taking Starfire out somewhere, while Beast Boy and Terra would head off somewhere else together. As for Cyborg, it was highly probable that he would be spending the day with Bumblebee, the leader of the Teen Titans East.

"Oh."

The doors slid open again, and Nightwalker made his entry, also wearing his usual plain dark-coloured outfit. Raven almost felt a sense of relief that she wouldn't be the only one standing out.

Nightwalker glanced round at his friends, and his dark eyebrows rose. "Valentine's Day, eh?" he remarked. "So, I'm guessing you'll all be going out somewhere?"

"Oh yes!" Starfire beamed, grabbing Robin's arm. "Robin and I are going to the carnival, and Beast Boy and Terra are going on a hike. And Cyborg will be going out with Bum… Ow!" She gave a squeal of protest as Cyborg elbowed her in the side heavily.

"And Raven and Nightwalker will be hanging out together too, yes?" Cyborg said slyly, trying to shift the attention away from himself.

"What makes you think so?" Raven retorted.

"Coz you two seem a little…well, you know."

"Uh-huh." Raven narrowed her eyes dangerously, fixing her gaze on Cyborg.

"It's nothing like that, believe me." Nightwalker sounded so casual, so calm about it that Raven nearly envied him for it. "What even gave you such an idea?"

"Aren't you two…" Terra began.

"Not in that way," Nightwalker replied calmly. "We're good friends, nothing more."

"Glad you agree with me on that," Raven muttered to herself.

"Well, then, shall we get going?" Robin said, smoothly changing the topic. "Raven, Nightwalker, we'll all be meeting up again in five hours at the park around here. You want to join us?"

"I'd be happy to," Nightwalker replied, and Raven nodded in agreement.

"OK. Have fun, Titans." Robin let Starfire twine her arm around his as they headed off to Robin's motorcycle.

"See you guys later," Beast Boy added, as he and Terra headed off as well. Bit by bit, the four of them, along with Cyborg, moved out of view, leaving Raven and Nightwalker alone.

"Valentine's Day," Raven muttered with annoyance. "Only two weeks ago, we were celebrating Blorthog. And now, another celebration day?"

"Oh, lighten up," Nightwalker said casually. "Living with these guys…you'll have to get used to it. I don't think it's going to be a one-time event, you know. After all, Valentine's Day _is _every year."

"Yeah, keep reminding me," Raven grumbled.

"Cheer up, Raven. Now that they're out, we're free to have some time for ourselves."

"And what do you propose we do, then?"

"We could just go for a walk somewhere. Maybe in the city?"

"Sounds good enough."

They took their own sweet time flying over to the nearby city. Because it was a day for love, Raven and Nightwalker were immediately treated to endless sights of lovers and sweethearts patrolling the streets arm-in-arm, many of them kissing unashamedly. Men were proclaiming their undying love for their wives and girlfriends, and presenting them with generous amounts of chocolates, presents and flowers. Women, in turn, were casting lovey-dovey and flirtatious looks at those men openly.

"Wow. Talk about romantic," Raven muttered, eyes raised.

"So you do have a sense of romance," Nightwalker couldn't help saying.

"And what makes you think I don't?" Raven retorted.

"You seem to be about the least romantic person I've ever known," Nightwalker replied, with his usual brutal honesty.

"And I wonder if I'm to take that as a compliment," Raven retorted.

"That's entirely up to you."

They fell silent after that, even as they continued to walk down the streets together, enjoying the companionable silence. Raven cast Nightwalker a secret glance out of the corner of her eyes, and wondered why Beast Boy and Cyborg should actually believe that she and him were more than just friends. Did they act that way, she wondered. Or was it simply because Beast Boy and Cyborg just loved to create something out of nothing?

_Idiots_, she thought to herself. _As if me and Nightwalker share that kind of relationship! _

They turned the corner, and ran into a young, excited man who was charging down the pavement at top speed, frequently glancing at his watch. He ran hard into Raven, and Raven gave an _oof_, stunned by the blow. The young man apologized hastily and ran off, while Raven fell over heavily. Just in time, Nightwalker managed to grab her by the waist steadying her before she hit the pavement.

"I trust you have no injuries?"

"No. Thanks." Straightening herself, Raven looked down and realized that Nightwalker still had an arm around her waist. "Um, you can let go of me now."

"Right. Of course." Nightwalker's eyes flickered downwards momentarily, as he quickly released her.

"You dropped this, I think." Raven bent down to pick up a small silver package from the ground and handed it to Nightwalker.

"Ah, yes. Thanks." Nightwalker nearly snatched it out of her hand, looking away. Raven thought she saw a shade of pink colouring his cheeks. "What's up with that?" she demanded.

"With what?"

"That package. A gift for a secret sweetheart somewhere, perhaps?"

"Do I detect jealousy in your voice?" Nightwalker enquired lightly.

"_Jealousy_?" Raven exclaimed. "And why would I be? Do enlighten me."

"It was the way you asked me what this is." For the first time, Nightwalker's eyes almost had a mischievous expression.

"Whatever."

Heaving a sigh, Nightwalker raised his arms in token of surrender. "Fine. I give up. No point in trying to deceive someone like you. Here. This is for you. Happy Valentine's Day."

Raven's eyes were nearly bulging in her head as she accepted it from him. "For _me_?" she gasped, unable to conceal her surprise.

"Yes, for you. In a friend-to-friend manner. It's only something I made myself, so it won't be perfect."

With a curiosity she never expected to feel, Raven opened the lid and peered inside. Her gift turned out to be a silver bracelet set with a winged bird that remained the insignia of Azarath. The bird had been wrought with amazing skill, its features well-defined and lifelike, the eyes glittering with tiny dark gems. Embarrassed and grateful at the same time, Raven felt her face beginning to heat up.

"It's lovely. Very much an exact replica of the symbol of Azarath," Raven said. "Thanks, Nightwalker. I really wasn't expecting something from you."

"Well, take it as a simple Valentine's Day gift."

"Uh-huh." Raven slipped the bracelet onto her wrist, imagining what Beast Boy and Cyborg would say if they could see them now. "And it's a perfect fit too."

"Well, I did have to take a secret measurement of your wrist when you were sleeping," Nightwalker confessed.

"And to think I didn't even know about it." The thought of him entering her room when she had been sleeping was most awkward. Being in such close proximity to him, Raven thought she could feel another emotion inside Nightwalker, that of a bashful young man awkwardly asking out a sweetheart on their first date.

"Ah well, don't worry, I won't make it a habit."

Raven fingered the bracelet gently, unable to bring herself to remove it. "It's a pity I don't have anything for you," she admitted.

"Don't worry about that. Now, why don't we continue our peaceful little walk? It isn't very often we Titans get to enjoy a day like this, without having to take down some villain."

"I have to agree with you on that." Raven fingered the bracelet on her wrist, wondering at the warmth she could feel within, bubbling up gradually. Was it happiness? Annoyed, she dismissed the notion immediately, reminding herself that she could not afford to feel anything.

"Come on. Let's go." Nightwalker's eyes settled on Raven for a little longer than necessary, and the expression in them sent an odd tingle running down her spine. As she continued her walk down the street with Nightwalker, Raven already could not help but wonder if agreeing to this outing alone with him had been the wisest decision. But until it was time to meet up with the others in the park, there would be no escaping Nightwalker. Not this time.


	46. Fighting Slade

The Titans were enjoying a relaxing afternoon, lazing around in the tower when the alarm went off, startling them considerably. Robin immediately ceased his training in the gym, where he had been busy exercising his muscles for the past half hour, and ran into the main hall. Cyborg was already peering at the screen, and as Robin joined him, he barked, "It's here. Right at Sundale Street."

"Titans, go!"

All seven of them got to the scene in minutes, pumped up and fully ready for battle. Robin narrowed his eyes, scanning the location for signs of trouble. Raven had her fingers pressed to her temples as she tried to focus in on the right sort of aura. After a while, she cried out, "Over there!" and pointed in a westerly direction.

A single figure could be seen running out now, his entire body clad in what seemed like some sort of metallic suit. Both his arms were clutching huge handfuls of bags evidently containing stolen items from the factory he had just robbed. Robin yelled a command, and the Titans promptly flew forward, shouting at the suspect to stop.

Very slowly, the man turned around to stare at them. A solid mask concealed his entire face, leaving only his eyes exposed. Through the eye slits, his eyes glinted with pure evil as they narrowed upon the Teen Titans.

"The Teen Titans," he drawled, in a cold, dangerous voice. "Well, well, well. Of course you would be here to stop me."

"And who are you?" Robin demanded.

"Ah, pardon me for forgetting my manners." He bowed mockingly. "My name is Slade. And I am most…pleased to meet you all."

"Slade." Robin spoke the name as if it left a sour taste on his tongue.

"And I wonder why that name sounds so familiar," Cyborg said sarcastically.

"I've heard your name before, _Slade_," Robin said coldly. "You were the one who supplied the shockwave guns to the gang last time!"

"So, I've acquired an adoring fan, have I?"

"On the other hand, you've only acquired some very dangerous opponents. Titans, go!"

"Oh, how scary," Slade sighed, watching as the Titans lunged towards him. Dropping the sacks calmly, he withdrew a long stick and held it ready.

_Nightwalker, can you take him down quick? _Raven asked. _He's completely covered in metal, isn't he? _

_Nope. It's not metal he's wearing. I don't know what exactly it is, but I won't be able to manipulate it! _

_Perfect. Guess we'll have to handle this in the old-fashioned way, then. _

Slade seemed undaunted by the combined onslaught. Standing his ground, he waited until Robin was upon him, then he swept his stick outwards with startling strength. Just in time, Robin managed to dodge it, whipping out his own stick in turn. A flurry of blows was exchanged, then Robin yelled out with shock as he found himself flying backwards.

"Robin!" Raven immediately engulfed him in a bubble of telekinetic energy, offering him a soft landing onto the ground.

"Thanks, Raven." Robin had just enough time to smile and hold up a thumb before he leaped back into the heart of the battle.

Starfire was up in the air now and pelting Slade with her starbolts, grunting with effort. Slade cast her one glance and began to dodge them effortlessly, moving around so quickly that he could barely be seen. As Slade flipped backwards, Cyborg aimed his sonic cannon towards him and fired. There was a tremendous _boom_, followed by the rising of a huge, thick cloud of grey dust and debris.

"Bull yah!" Cyborg bellowed.

There was a low chuckle, and then Slade rose from the smoke grandly, as if making an entrance onto a stage. Cyborg took one look at him, and his jaw dropped. "What the…" he spluttered. "I _know_ I got him spot on!"

"Dear Cyborg, you've got to learn that not everything is as it seems to be."

"And he even knows my name!"

"Who cares?" Beast Boy snapped. "He's just a bad guy, and like all other bad guys, we have to take him down!" Lowering himself to the ground, he morphed into a bull and charged.

Terra backed him up at once, knowing he could not take on Slade alone. Slade was forced to move around constantly as he found himself attacked by a bull and moving rocks at the same time. As he made a backflip to dodge the next move, Nightwalker and Raven swooped downwards in a combined attack. Raven's eyes glowed white as she levitated a metal pole out of the ground and smashed it into Slade, while Nightwalker summoned fireballs in his hand and hurled them at his opponent.

Slade moved like a gymnast, utilizing a wide variety of movements to stop himself from getting injured. All the while, his eyes seemed to be glowing with amusement, as if everything was just a game. Bright tongues of gold flames were already surrounding him like a fence, yet he showed no fear. Instead, he narrowed his gleaming eyes and chuckled coldly, before performing a miraculous leap to jump out of the circle of fire.

_This guy is nothing but trouble! _Nightwalker grumbled.

_Indeed. Can't you take him down with lightning? _

_I can try, once I've got a clear shot. _

Together, Cyborg, Beast Boy and Robin charged towards Slade, while Terra and Starfire set up a joint attack from further away. There was something that sounded like an explosion, and smoke and debris rose, clouding the entire spot. Raven and Nightwalker kept watch from a safe distance, Raven using her telepathy to try and keep a lock on Slade. But Slade was still moving, and so fast that she could barely detect a fixed presence.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" As Raven felt Slade going still for a while, she hastily levitated a huge rock upwards and sent it flying towards him the moment she saw a glimpse of him. She thought she heard a _thud _sound, but just as she attempted to fly closer, Slade appeared at close range suddenly and smashed his fist into her face with full force.

With a yell of pain, Raven found herself flying backwards, her face throbbing. Just in time, Nightwalker managed to move behind her, grabbing her arms firmly to halt her flight. A large purple mark was already starting to blossom on her face, her cheek badly swollen. Nightwalker hissed through his teeth with anger as he stared at Raven's injury before narrowing his gaze upon Slade. _Raven, I'm going to get him this time_, he announced. _This has been going on too long! _

_Be careful! _

_Don't you worry. I intend to take him down with a long-range technique anyway. _As Raven slowly rose to her feet, pressing a hand to her swollen cheek, Nightwalker flew forward and drew back his arm, summoning a powerful blast of lightning in his fist. Brilliant blue light flashed from his hand, illuminating the area with an eerie glow. Robin and Beast Boy were now fighting Slade at close range, using every bit of their skill and strength to take him down, but nothing seemed to be working.

_Robin, Beast Boy, move out of the way! _Nightwalker ordered. _I'm going to try and take down Slade with lightning this time._

Robin and Beast Boy each landed a final blow on Slade before retreating swiftly. The moment they were clear, Nightwalker thrust his arm forward, aiming the lightning bolt straight towards Slade at top speed. Lightning streamed forward faster than the eye could see, going straight for its target. Raven and the rest of the Titans watched with baited breath, hoping, waiting.

The lightning struck Slade head-on, with deadly accuracy. Beast Boy and Cyborg yelled aloud, pumping their fists in the air. Robin looked on with a more sombre look, eyes narrowed. For one long, tensed moment, it seemed that Slade was done with, and then, horror of horrors, he lightly brushed his two arms as if simply getting rid of some dust.

"What was that about, I wonder?" Slade asked lightly.

_Impossible! I hit him dead-on! _Nightwalker thought. _How can he still be up and about? _

"You know," Slade said, guessing Nightwalker's thoughts accurately, "it's called lightning-proof clothes."

_He even knows what sort of powers we have! _Raven thought.

_It's possible he's been doing research on us, _Nightwalker agreed. _Not only does he seem to know our powers, he even knows our names and our fighting style! This guy is going to be the hardest opponent we've ever fought! _

_That doesn't mean it's impossible to stop him, though. _

_I never said that. _

Together, the seven Titans mounted a simultaneous attack on Slade, using every bit of their powers to fight. The attack level went up drastically, but Slade was not without a whole repertoire of skills himself, and added to the fact that he seemed to know the Titans' abilities, he seemed almost impossible to defeat. The Titans fought on, until they were all soaked in sweat and panting for breath, and still Slade stood, despite the numerous blows he had already received.

"So sad, Titans," Slade sighed. "I was expecting so much more from you all, frankly. To think you're all at this level only…tsk tsk tsk."

"And you," Robin retorted angrily, "are making the mistake of underestimating us!"

"Am I?" Slade asked coldly.

"TITANS, GO!" Robin bellowed, pouring all the last of his strength into a final, desperate attack.

Ten minutes of fighting passed, with Slade still possessing the upper hand in spite of the Titans' attack. Exhausted, the seven of them fell back for a while, eyeing him as they tried to formulate a more useful strategy.

_What's up with him? _Nightwalker wondered. _How can he be this strong? _

_He's powerful, _Raven said, as if they had just figured it out. _And I mean REAL powerful. I can literally feel the strength coming out of him. _

_And how are we to stop him, then? _

"Well, Titans," Slade said, interrupting the telepathic conversation, "I think you've finished your turn, isn't it? Now it's my turn."

_Oh no! _

Without giving the Titans time to react, Slade whipped out a small grey sphere and hurled it forward. It exploded upon contact with the ground, and in a second, some sort of thick grey vapour rose, clogging up their nostrils. An odd sensation of sleepiness crept over them, and the Titans groaned aloud, trying to keep their heavy lids open.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" In an act of desperation, Raven teleported the seven of them away from the vapour, fighting her own lethargy. Slade's chuckled echoed down the street, and Raven felt an odd chill tingling in her spine.

Moving faster than the eye could follow, Slade lunged towards the Titans, aiming for Robin first. Raven yelled a warning, but Robin was still affected by the vapour, and his reflexes were far too slow to save him. He witnessed a close-up of Slade's massive fist, and then he went flying backwards. Groaning, he tried to sit up, but the effort proved to be too costly, and he slumped forward limply.

"Robin!" Starfire screamed aloud with terror for him, and, heedless of her own safety, she swooped down towards Slade, starbolts gleaming in both fists. Yelling with rage, she pelted him mercilessly, until the entire ground there was more holes than solid.

"Missed me."

Starfire gasped with shock as Slade leaped upwards, bursting through the smoke. She tried to fly backwards, but Slade was too fast, and she too, went flying backwards as Slade used a powerful kick on her, hitting her near her belly.

Anger began to kick into Raven, in spite of her best efforts to clamp it down. "Leave them alone!" she commanded sharply. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Using all the skills Karzor had taught her, she used her telekinesis to form projectiles, hurling them at Slade in one go.

Somehow, Slade managed to duck them all, even as Nightwalker bombarded him with fireballs. Raven swore under her breath, her patience running dangerously low. Seeing Robin and Starfire lying on the ground so limply really got to her, and she and the remaining Titans increased the ferocity of their attacks, trying in vain to take down Slade. Several of Nightwalker's fireballs did hit him, but they seemed to have too little effect.

Slade reached into a pouch hanging at his waist and withdrew a bomb-like object, tossing it forward. It cracked open, and streams of electricity pulsated from it, immediately zapping everyone within range. Only Raven, a good distance away from it, managed to retreat, but she had no time to fling up a shield for the others. Electricity met flesh, and as Raven looked on in horror, bluish light sizzled in Terra, Cyborg, Beast Boy and Nightwalker. The four of them let out hideous groans of pain and shock, and then they toppled over like rag dolls.

"Four more down. So, just one more to go."

Heedless of her safety, Raven rushed over to her fallen friends and knelt down by Nightwalker. "Nightwalker!" she yelled, shaking him by the shoulder. "Are you alright? Can you hear me?"

"Tired…must…" Nightwalker muttered another inaudible word as he groaned feebly, trying in vain to move.

Without showing any mercy, Slade launched towards the half-unconscious Titans, stick and arms ready to strike.

"GET AWAY FROM THEM!" Raven roared in a fury. "AZARATH METRION ZINTHOS!" Pouring all her remaining energy into her powers, she aimed a tremendous blast of telekinetic energy towards Slade. This time, he had no time to dodge her ferocious attack, and he grunted with shock as he sailed backwards.

"No-one hurts my friends and gets away with it!" Raven snarled, advancing upon Slade. "Touch them again, and you'll wish you had never been born!"

Slade seemed mildly shaken, but not seriously injured as he regained his balance quickly. "Will I?" he enquired, eyes narrowed. "Well then, would this be enough to invoke that, I wonder?" And he lunged forward again with startling strength, going straight for Robin and Starfire this time, smirking beneath his mask.

In that moment, Raven went mad.

**Sorry for the very late update! I hope you don't mind, since I'm running on a very busy schedule. Da good news is, in 3 weeks time, I'll be free to update much more quickly! **

**OK, I guess I should admit now that I don't plan to make Slade a major villain in this story. So, it'll be some time before he appears again (if he does!). There's still quite a fair bit to go before this story ends, and I don't think Slade should play a huge role, seeing how things are going. I hope you don't mind (especially to all Slade fans!). **

**TheDreamChase: Hmm…I haven't really thought much about Jericho yet at the moment. I'm not too sure how to fit him in, so if he does appear, he'll have a pretty minor role. As for Terra, nope, she won't betray the Titans in this story, as it'll make things harder to fit in. **


	47. Friendship Test

Slade backed away slowly as Raven's form began to change. Her body rose up until she was five times taller than normal, four red eyes forming in her furious face. Odd black tentacle-like arms swarmed out from underneath her cloak, reaching out towards Slade. Liberal amounts of dark energy flowed from her, swirling and growing more and more potent. As Slade sucked in his breath, the demonic-looking Raven laughed aloud, a wicked, sinister chuckle, and calmly used one of those tentacles to grab him.

"Are you scared now?" Raven laughed. "Not quite expecting this, were you?"

"What…" Slade spluttered, all his earlier cool deserting him.

"Behold me in my anger, and PERISH!" Raven roared, as she began to drag Slade towards her.

Slade yelled with fright, and put up a massive struggle, finally dislodging himself with tremendous difficulty. Grunting with the effort of it, he struggled to his feet, only to be hit by a powerful blast of telekinetic energy, perhaps fifty times stronger than Raven's earlier attacks. It struck him right in the back, offering him a graceful but unwanted sail through the air, before a pole behind halted his flight. So great was the force of the impact that the pole was immediately bent backwards like an old man.

Groaning, Slade tried to retreat, but somehow or other, Raven was right there yet again, bombarding Slade with a mixture of telekinetic energy and whatever objects that happened to be handy. Slade automatically flung up his arms in self-defence, but it was far from enough to protect himself, and he found himself pelted from all sides.

Laughing wickedly, Raven continued to thrash up Slade mercilessly, until he was more unconscious than conscious. Dirt and dents covered his armoured body entirely, making him look as if he had just returned from a war. Coughing and spluttering, he tried to reach for a bomb-like device at his side, but Raven gave him no respite. With an imperial gesture of her now-giant arm, she summoned a swirling mass of telekinetic energy, giving it some time to grow larger and larger. Slade's half-blank eyes landed on it, and they widened as he anticipated his death.

"Raven, STOP!"

Nightwalker's yell of shock reverberated throughout the air like a gong, shocking Raven into stillness for the moment. Groaning, he tried to rise from his sitting position, only to slump down again. Grimly, he thought how hard it was to regain full control of his faculties when unconsciousness still partially sat over him.

From his position, he looked up at Raven again, heart pounding. It had been a _very _long time since Raven had lost control of her temper, and this time, she was truly mad indeed. Dark energy flowed out from her in over-abundance, covering the area in shadows. She gazed at Nightwalker steadily for several seconds, and then her gaze flickered back to Slade.

_Raven, you gotta listen to me! _Nightwalker cried out telepathically. _Don't lose control of yourself again! You could destroy this place! Keep yourself in control! Can you hear me? Raven! _

_No! I can finish off Slade once and for all now! _

_Raven, no! Not like this! You're not like Slade! Do not let yourself become like him! Calm yourself down! Remember what Karzor taught you? _

By now, the other Titans had regained consciousness, and were all staring at Raven with open eyes and mouths. Starfire was gasping aloud, clapping her hands over her mouth as she tried to make sense of the ugly scene before her. Robin was frowning and gasping at the same time, and the other Titans were murmuring with shock.

"Raven! STOP!"

As if she was just becoming aware that she had an audience, Raven gasped and began to shrink back to her normal size again. Slade uncurled himself slowly, once he had ascertained that Raven was no longer to bombard him with her deadly attacks. Taking one look at the stunned Titans, who had removed their attention from him, he quietly began to retreat subtly.

_Raven? _

Raven remained rooted to the spot, motionless and silent. The Titans seemed to be completely unaware of how to react, and could only keep a distance, watching Raven with wary eyes as if she had suddenly turned into a monster before their eyes. It was too much like the X-Men, and Raven felt a stab of pain piercing her heart.

"Raven?" Beast Boy gave a nervous, shaky chuckle in what seemed like an attempt to relieve some of the tension. "What was that? You're not…I mean, we're cool, right?" He stretched his mouth into a grin as he rubbed the back of his head.

Raven rounded on him furiously, and for a moment, her eyes gleamed blood-red again. Beast Boy gave a yelp of fright and shock, and automatically took a step back, his face reddening.

"Beast Boy." Robin shot him a warning glance and took over in his usual efficient way. "Raven? Are you alright?" He reached a tentative hand forward, hesitating.

Without a single word, Raven spun round on her heels and strode away.

* * *

"I tell you, we really should go in and see if she is alright!"

"No! Not yet! Give her more time to chill off first!"

"But we have waited for so long already!"

Grunting, Robin tightened his grip on Starfire's arm and struggled to pull her away from Raven's door. Starfire had her hand bunched into a fist, ready to knock. The two of them continued to pull back and forth, yelling excuses and reasons and grunting, until Cyborg finally came forward and calmly pulled them both away.

"Cut it out, you two," he grumbled. "Yelling away like this outside Raven's room isn't going to help her."

"But…" Starfire protested.

"Starfire, Robin." Nightwalker appeared out of nowhere at that moment and advanced forward, his face expressionless. "There's no point in trying to get into Raven's room now. She won't see anyone until she's ready. Let me deal with this for now."

"You just said…"

"Don't worry. I know Raven well enough to know how to handle this. Please step back for now."

Robin and Starfire exchanged a brief glance with each other before doing so. "Alright. We'll be in the living room."

Nightwalker nodded and rapped on Raven's door sharply, waiting for a reply. Silence. With a sigh, he knocked again.

_Go away. _

_Raven, it's only me. Nightwalker. _

_I know that! _

_Won't you let me in? I only want to talk. _

_There's nothing to talk about! _

_Won't you just hear me out first, then/ _

_Fine. _

_Can I come in too? _

_Go ahead. _

Nightwalker slid the door open and entered quietly, shutting the door behind him. Raven was levitating in the middle of her room, surrounded by black candles. As Nightwalker approached her, her eyes flew open and narrowed.

"If you're going to say something about what happened earlier, I don't want to hear it."

"I'm not here to criticize you, if that's what you mean."

"Then what do you want to talk about?" Raven demanded waspishly.

"I just want to make sure you're fine."

"Do I look like I'm not?"

Nightwalker did not answer straightaway. Instead, he moved closer to Raven, halting several feet away from her before crossing his legs under himself and levitating. "No, I wasn't suggesting that, either."

"Can't you just get down to the point, then?"

"I'm here only to offer you comfort. As a friend. Nothing more."

"As a friend," Raven echoed bitterly. "Well, that's good to hear. I suppose you'll be my only remaining friend after this."

Nightwalker tilted his head slightly, studying Raven dispassionately. "And what makes you so sure?"

"Of all people, you should know. All the Titans saw me in _that _form! Now they all know me for what I am – a monster! Why should they let me stay on here?"

"If they're really thinking that way, then they're not real friends, are they? At least the truth will out."

With a sigh, Raven made a sharp gesture with her hands, extinguishing the fire that flickered on the odd black candles surrounding her, and lowered her legs to the ground. "You're making it sound as if this is some sort of friendship test. After what happened…"

"Raven." Nightwalker sounded almost exasperated now. "I believe we've had this conversation back in Azarath before. Must I repeat myself now?"

Raven clenched her fists until she scored little red moons on her pale palms. "No need to repeat what we already know," she said, in a low voice. "But all the same, I'll be prepared to move out of here."

"_We'll _be prepared, you mean?"

"You don't have to follow me."

"If that's your way of trying to get rid of me, it won't work," Nightwalker replied dryly. "If you have to leave, I'm going with you. And that's final. Not that I believe the Titans will make you leave, anyway."

"Really?"

"Come on." Feeling unusually daring, Nightwalker slipped an arm around Raven's shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. "It's time you learn to trust, Raven. Not everyone will treat you the way the X-Men did. And even if they do…I'll still be here beside you."

For the first time in many weeks, Raven smiled one of her extremely rare smiles. "Thanks, Nightwalker. For everything."

"What are friends for, anyway?"

* * *

"Do you think she'll like this?"

Robin, Beast Boy and Cyborg bent forward, peering over Terra's shoulder at the pie she and Starfire had just baked. The pastry had been decorated prettily at the edge, the entire pie stuffed with blackberries. Terra had turned out to be a surprisingly skilled baker, and had even carved a raven into the top of the pie.

"I think that looks YUM!" Cyborg cried, licking his lips hungrily. He thrust his head forward, but Terra was ready for it, and hastily pushed him back.

"Not a bite for you!" she said scoldingly. "This is all for Raven! Until she's finished with it, don't you dare sink your teeth into it!"

"That's pretty harsh of you, Terra," Beast Boy remarked.

"Whatever. Can we go to Raven's room now and save the arguments for later?"

Carrying the pie in her hands carefully, Terra led the way to Raven's room. The door was still shut, and there was no sign of Nightwalker. Taking a deep breath, Terra gestured nodded at Starfire as the alien raised a hand.

"Raven. It's us. Your friends. Can we come in?"

The door slid open almost immediately, revealing Raven and Nightwalker standing side-by-side. Raven's gaze was so wary that Terra almost wondered if they had made a mistake in going to see her. Smiling, she extended the pie towards Raven.

"A little snack for you," she said. "Me and Starfire baked this together."

Raven blinked blankly before accepting the pie, looking down at it intently. "You baked this for me?"

"Oh yes!" Starfire smiled cheerfully. "We thought you might like it. After all, you did kick Slade's butt for us."

"And we wanted to make sure you're alright," Robin put in honestly.

Their response certainly wasn't what Raven had been expecting. She could detect no fear in any of them at all, just friendly sincerity and concern. It was as if nothing extraordinary had happened. Next to her, Nightwalker was smiling subtly, and Raven clearly felt his approval.

_See? _he said.

"Thanks." Raven did have to admit that the pie did look good. "I really wasn't expecting this." _Not after what happened. _

As if he could read her mind, Robin smiled and laid a hand on Raven's shoulder in a brotherly gesture. "We're friends, aren't we?" was what he said. "And friends show concern for each other. There's no need to talk about what happened. Why don't you just put it behind you too?"

"No hard feelings, then? No…"

"Not one bit," Cyborg piped up.

"Wouldn't even think about it," Beast Boy said, and Terra and Starfire nodded in agreement. "We're friends, after all," Robin said. "And friends always stick together."

Laughing, Starfire leaped forward and gave Raven an almighty squeeze. "Friend Raven, I am most pleased to see you back to normal again!"

"Ow. Starfire, you're going to turn the pie into a pancake."

Grinning, Starfire stepped back and clapped her hands as she looked down at the slightly flattened pastry. "Well, friend, would you like to cut the pie?" she suggested brightly.

Smiling in spite of everything, Raven nodded and accepted the knife from Cyborg and pressed it into the pastry.


	48. Drydo

"What? No vegetarian pizza? How could they run out of it today?"

The Titans were now gathered round at a table in a pizza shop in the city, one of their favourite spots. Beast Boy was glaring at the menu, and groaning at the words _Vegetarian pizza: not available today. _Muttering under his breath about meat and vegetarian stuff, he lowered the menu and groaned aloud.

"Cheer up, BB," Terra grinned. "All you have to do is to pick out the meat from the pizza."

"But I'll still be able to taste the meat," he groaned.

Raven glared at him and cuffed him on the ear, hard. "If you say another word about it," she growled, in her dry, emotionless voice, I can always turn your hands into a vegetarian pizza."

"Ahhh!" Beast Boy yelped comically and shoved his hands under the table immediately, remembering just in time that Raven did have some magical abilities.

Grinning, Cyborg raised his hand and beckoned to an attractive young waitress nearby.

"Yes, miss, we're ready to order. We'll take five large pepperoni and…"

Cyborg's words were cut off by a scream from outside, a scream so loud and deafening that it was impossible to ignore. In a flash, the seven Titans were out of the shop, leaving behind the waitress to pick up the notebook she had dropped in her shock. The scream sounded again, high and wild, and this time, it was accompanied by other sounds: roars and yells and shouts.

"What on earth is going on?" Beast Boy demanded, as his team ran towards the source of the sound.

"Raven? Can you tell what's going on?"

"Not like this," she replied.

"Then let's move. Titans, go!" Robin commanded.

Together, they rounded a corner sharply and ran further down the streets, before jerking to a complete stop. The building several meters in front of them was going off into a series of explosions every few seconds. Furious gold flames were already licking half the building. People were shouting instructions and screaming, while multiple others made countless 911 calls.

"We've got to get everyone out of there now!" Robin said. "Nightwalker, put out those flames. The rest of you, go in there and get everyone out!"

"Got it!"

As his comrades leaped into the building to do their job, Nightwalker took several steps back and raised his arms, focusing on his energy. Putting out fires was something he had enough experience in. Arms stretched forward, he carefully used a technique had learned to stop the fire from spreading, before smothering them. The Titans were working well, removing very large groups of people from the building.

Just as Nightwalker thought it was over, another explosion went off, followed by a new flare of flames that appeared out of nowhere. Nightwalker narrowed his eyes, wondering if there was more going on than met the eye. As he used his powers to break open a nearby fire hydrant, spraying the flames with water, he saw Raven exiting again, using her telekinesis to levitate out a group of children.

_Raven! I think there may be an arsonist inside! Can you feel anything? _

Raven remained quiet for a while as she gently deposited the screaming children a good distance away. _Yes! _she said after some time. _I can feel some pretty evil vibes coming out from there! _

_Where exactly? Can you guide me to him? _

_Let me help you…_

_No, you need to get everyone out. I'll go after that arsonist first. Guide me to him. _

_He's…let me see…in the north-east side. And yes, he's alone. Go to the left side…yes, you're getting closer…yes, you're there now. _

_Thanks. I can take it from here. _Nightwalker turned round the corner, breaking a window to get in – and found himself face to face with the sought-after arsonist.

Pale grey eyes stared back at Nightwalker out of a pale face partially shadowed by unusually pale blonde hair. Nightwalker's eyes flickered to his hands, and noticed that he held nothing in them. No lighter, no match, nothing.

_Raven, I…_

_That's the arsonist! I can feel it! _

"Who's this?" The pale man looked Nightwalker up and down as if he were assessing him for the market.

"Someone who's here to stop you before you burn down anything else."

"I don't think anyone can do that," the arsonist drawled. "Now, allow me to introduce myself. Drydo, at your service." He smiled sinisterly and dropped a mock bow. "May I know your name too, _sir_?"

Without saying anything in reply, Nightwalker summoned a tremendous gust of wind and aimed it at the arsonist, ensuring that it struck him right in the chest. It seemed to take the arsonist by surprise, who grunted as he sailed backwards and banged into the wall behind him.

"What were you doing?" Nightwalker demanded. "Setting a building on fire with so many people in it? What's your deal?"

"It's called 'fun'!" Drydo laughed, and at that, he suddenly sprang back onto his feet with startling skill and strength, as if nothing had happened. "Now, take THIS!" And he thrust his hand forward, sending forth a vicious blast of fire.

Nightwalker stood his ground firmly, knowing he was impervious to this kind of attack. What was more unsettling was the fact that Drydo had superpowers as well. Nightwalker had been hoping for an ordinary arsonist, but clearly, it was not to be.

"Hah! So you can air wield, and you're impervious to fire too!" Drydo cackled. "A Xildarinian, isn't it?"

Nightwalker froze momentarily before regaining control of his wits. "How did…" he began, and stopped himself mid-sentence. The answer was too obvious to him at that moment. "Another Xildarinian?" he said instead. "Well, this is a surprise. I never thought to see one on earth. What do you want?"

"What I want is revenge, pure and simple," Drydo replied casually. "And you will not stand in my way!" Face expressionless, he launched his next move before Nightwalker could respond, employing a powerful gust of wind that smacked into Nightwalker head-on. Taken by surprise, Nightwalker went flying backwards with a yell of shock. As he sailed backwards, Drydo launched himself forwards, summoning another gust of wind. But this time, Nightwalker was prepared for the attack, and neatly blocked it, swinging to one side as Drydo tried to pounce on him.

Drydo reacted fast, and immediately twisted himself towards Nightwalker, hands bunched into fists. Yelling a war-cry, he begin to attack Nightwalker vigorously, punching and kicking fiercely. His close combat skills were far from rusty or unused, and Nightwalker barely even had time to respond.

_Raven, I think I'm going to need help after all! This guy here has the same powers as me! Is everyone out? _

_Yes. Starfire and Beast Boy are evacuating the last few people now. I'm on my way. Who's this guy you're fighting? _

_Someone of the same race as me. _

_Great. Of all people…_

Drydo put up a spectacular display of combat skills before utilizing his trump card: a startling move that sent Nightwalker flying backwards again out of control. Pain sliced up Nightwalker's back as he smashed into the window, hard enough to crack it and break his skin. He felt something warm and wet trickling down his back, but there was no time to think about his injury. Drydo was making a move against him again, and Nightwalker immediately used his metal bending ability to bend the metallic window sill, using it to smash the window so he could fly out. What he needed was enough space to conduct their battle.

Drydo flew out behind him straightaway, poised to attack. Nightwalker. Nightwalker hurriedly forced up several boulders from the ground, hurling them at Drydo one by one. But Drydo was just as experienced a fighter as Nightwalker, and blocked them in mid-air with great cool and control. People were starting to gather around, looking on at the fight with open eyes and mouths. Some were even recording everything on their cell phones.

_Nightwalker! We're here! _

Nightwalker felt a little more relieved when Raven and the Titans, rescue mission completed, finally came to join the battle, blazing and ready for it. Starfire immediately summoned two massive starbolts and pelted Drydo with them, hard. They nearly hit Drydo, but at the last moment, he saw them coming, and used a swirling mass of air to spin himself away.

"The Teen Titans." Drydo regained his composure with remarkable speed as cocked his head, watching them. "All seven of you together. Well, this is going to be very amusing, I think."

"Not so amusing when we take you down," Robin retorted. "Titans, go!"

The seven heroes spread out eyed Drydo warily. They had all seen Nightwalker in action countless times, and there was not a single Titan who would want him for an enemy. And if Drydo had the same powers as Nightwalker…

_Come on guys! We can defeat him if we all work together! _

_If only things were that easy,_ Nightwalker said on a sigh.

_Elaborate? _

_This guy probably uses some dark forbidden techniques to fight. And that involves attacking someone's body from the inside. _

_You mean…_

_Yes. He can probably manipulate the water, air and metal inside your body. Beware! _

_Great. Sounds like you may be the only one who can stop him, then. _

_I hope not! _

Drydo eyed back the Titans, eyebrows raised with amusement. "This isn't really going to be a fair fight, is it?" he sighed. "Seven of you against one of me…ah well. But then, numbers are not always strength, is it?"

Nightwalker felt his heart lurch.

Without saying anything else, Drydo summoned a massive fire wall between them, with such ferocity that the flames almost seemed to explode into life. As the Titans gasped and flinched, Drydo used his powers to create huge fire tendrils, burning everything in sight. The once-peaceful place promptly became a horrible inferno, looking like hell.

"Titans, you have to help me!" Nightawlker bellowed. "Use that fire hydrant or whatever else you have to!"

It took a little longer than expected, but after much sweating and effort, the Titans eventually managed to put out all the flames. Several of the townspeople had gathered around them, and were watching from a safe distance, erupting into claps and cheers when the last of the flames finally died down.

"Phew! That took awhile," Cyborg said, mopping some sweat away from his face. "Now…uh guys, where's the bad guy?"

There was a sudden silence, as the Titans looked round in vain for their missing foe.

"No way!" Robin exclaimed angrily. "He's gone!"

**Good news: the X-Men will be appearing again next chapter! I thought it time to bring them out again, this time to…well, you'll see. **

**To all my reviewers, thanks a lot for reviewing! **


	49. Drydo Strikes Again

"Well, Nightwalker, are you going to tell us something more about that guy?"

All eyes were turned towards Nightwalker as Starfire floated forward and deposited three more cups of drinks onto the table. They had spent ages looking for Drydo, but to no avail. It was as if he had well and truly vanished into mid-air. Finally, Robin had called off the search, saying that it was likely Drydo would strike again soon. And when that happened, they would be ready for him.

"What do you want to know about him?" Nightwalker replied, sounding slightly exasperated.

"Whatever you know," Robin said.

"There's nothing much to say," Nightwalker answered. "Except he's a Xildarinian like me, so he has the same sort of powers."

"And a Xildarinian is what exactly?" Beast Boy asked, looking extremely confused.

"Xildarinians were once dwellers of Azarath, before they disappeared from there and formed their own dimension, Xildarin," Nightwalker explained. "All of them have pale features, and the ability to fly and manipulate the six elements, like me."

"Pale features?" Beast Boy chortled. "Now, that's funny."

Raven glared at him and elbowed him hard enough to make him gasp. "Beast Boy…" she hissed, but Nightwalker stopped her.

"It's fine," he said quietly. "Well, if you must know, my…odd features mostly stem from a mixed heritage. I'm part human, part Xildarinian, and part…something else, after all."

This was more than Nightwalker had ever revealed about himself, and it was enough to surprise everyone but Raven. "You've never told us this before," Terra pointed out.

"Not that it matters, of course," Starfire said hastily. "After all, I'm full alien myself."

"Well, I never saw any need to talk about my race," Nightwalker reminded Terra.

"Anyway," Robin interrupted, "that's not what we need to talk about now. Nightwalker, you said that guy…"

"Drydo," Nightwalker put in.

"You said Drydo has the same powers as you. What sort of weaknesses would he have, then?"

"Hard to tell," Nightwalker replied. "Someone's weakness depends on the person, not on their power. Besides, I didn't have much of a fight with him."

"Hmmm. Then it's going to be hard to tell, indeed," Robin mused.

"And," Nightwalker went on, "seeing how dark Drydo is, it's possible he's a master of some darker versions of elemental manipulation as well."

"What do you mean?" Cyborg asked.

"He can probably harm your body from the inside by manipulating the air, water and iron in it," Nightwalker said gravely.

Starfire shuddered, looking most uncomfortable, while the other Titans looked on with large round eyes. "If so," Terra said, "how are we to face him? He could easily expand the air in our lungs until they burst, and kill us!"

"And that's why the next time we face him," Nightwalker said quietly, "_I intend to face him alone_."

"Alright. You're crazy," Cyborg said bluntly.

"Am I?" Nightwalker enquired, with such calm that the others realized immediately that he was being perfectly serious.

"No way!" Terra burst out vehemently. "You can't do that! We're a team, aren't we? When we fight, we fight together. We're not letting you face Drydo alone!"

"I know what I'm doing," Nightwalker insisted. "If Drydo can master the darker arts, I'll have to focus on saving you as well as fighting him. That's not going to make things easier, is it?"

"Well," Robin admitted, "you do have a point there, but you yourself seem uncertain about Drydo's powers. He may be a master of some dark arts, but then, he may not be either."

"I prefer not to take risks with someone like him."

"Perhaps not," Cyborg said, "but _we _are. And we're not taking no for an answer. When Drydo appears again, we're coming with you."

Nightwalker sighed, looking most displeased, but there was clearly no point in arguing.

"And while we are talking about this," Starfire put in, "can you tell us more about your people's abilities? It might help us, the next time we face Drydo."

"Well, basically we Xildarinians have control over air, fire, water, earth, metal and lightning. We call it water weaving, fire casting, air wielding, lightning summoning, earth bending and metal bending. Most of us are born with an affinity for one or two of those elements. Those Xildarinians, after passing a test, will learn some secret, high level techniques involving their element. And that's all you need to know about our powers, I think."

"Affinity for an element," Beast Boy mused. "And learning secret techniques for it…well, what's Drydo's element?"

"It's hard to tell so fast," Nightwalker replied. "Hopefully, it's fire."

"Because your natural affinity is for water?" Raven said.

"Indeed." Nightwalker looked down at his hand as he gathered the moisture from the air and formed it into a small ball of water, letting it swirl round and round. "And yes, I know a few secret techniques for more than one element."

_Karzor taught you well, then. _

_Well, I suppose he did. After all, I wasn't always in Xildarin, you know. _

"Well, then," Robin said, smacking his fist onto his palm, "I think it's safe to say that Drydo isn't invincible. With Nightwalker on our side, and all of us fighting together, I daresay we'll have a pretty good chance of beating him."

"Oh, if only it were so," Nightwalker sighed, but this was said so softly that none heard him.

* * *

The X-Men's peaceful day at the Academy didn't last for as long as they had hoped. As Kitty and her fellow mutants lounged about in the living room, reading or chatting or blasting the radio, they heard Xavier's telepathic voice clearly.

_X-Men, Magneto's terrorizing the city right now! And there's another powerful person with him! _

_Alright. We're on it, _Scott replied. "Jean, Kitty, Rogue, Evan, Kurt, come with me."

"Roger that."

The six of them piled into Scott's car, grumbling a little about how squashy it was. Scott took the driver's seat as usual and jammed down onto the accelerator so suddenly that his five companions were heavily flung backwards against the car seat.

"Hey! Watch it!" Rogue snapped.

"We've got to get there quick," was all Scott said.

Rogue muttered something under her breath, but refrained from saying anything else.

"Did the professor say who's out there, aside from Magneto?" Kurt asked.

"A powerful person, that's all he said," Jean said.

"Another mutant, I suppose," Evan said. "Looks like Magneto's found an ally."

"Yeah? Of course he would," Scott pointed out.

With Scott driving crazily like a drunk driver, the six X-Men reached the city soon after. As Scott jerked the car to a stop, while the others leaped out, they saw Storm and Logan running towards them, breathless.

"I have never seen a mutant like Drydo," Logan grumbled. "Kids, be careful. Drydo's no ordinary mutant."

"Who?" Kitty asked, blankly.

"Magneto's new buddy," Logan grunted. "It seems he's got control over fire and air."

"And he's that powerful?" Rogue asked.

"Don't underestimate him," Storm warned. "He can wield fire and air as if they were the most powerful weapons in the world. And Magneto's there to help him."

"Well, now that there are eight of us, let's make sure we give this Drydo guy and Magneto a taste of our powers," Scott said fiercely. "Are you with me, X-Men?"

"Yes!"

**Fight will be coming up in the next chapter, I promise. I originally intended to include it here, then I realized it would be too long. So, please have patience! **


	50. At Death's Door

"This way. There they are!" Storm shouted, pointing at two figures in the distance.

The six newly arrived X-Men jerked to a sudden halt in their footsteps, watching with huge eyes as a tremendous ball of fire suddenly exploded into life with tremendous force. The heat was so intense that they could all feel it from where they were.

"Wow. That's a lot of fire," Kitty groaned.

"Problem is, we can't really put them all out," Logan growled. "I don't know what exactly he does, but Storm here says that she can't seem to gather enough storm clouds to make it rain."

"What?" Evan gasped, looking with dismay at the fire that was now incinerating half the city. "And how are we to put out the fire, then?"

"There are some fire hydrants around here," Kitty said, looking round hopefully.

"Not enough," Jean said. "We'll need a whole torrent of rain to extinguish all that fire!"

"Or," Rogue said, "we can just move in onto those bad guys and take down."

"Easier said than done," Rogue commented.

"Well, there are eight of us and two of them," Kurt said.

"What are we waiting for, then? X-Men, let's go!" Scott commanded.

Magneto turned round sharply as the X-Men approached him and Drydo, and smiled. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the X-Men again," he said lightly. "Have you come to pay us a friendly visit?"

"On the other hand, we're here to pay you the most unfriendly visit you'll ever have!" Logan retorted. "X-Men!"

"Don't bother," Drydo drawled, looking bored. "I have no interest in fighting such useless things like you."

"Useless?" Logan growled, eyeing his claws.

"My dear Wolverine," Drydo sneered, "if I _really _wanted to fight with you and your old woman friend here, you two wouldn't be alive and in one piece. Haven't you already thought of that?"

"Old woman?" Storm spluttered, under her breath.

Logan growled angrily, but was forced to realize that Drydo had spoken the truth. After all, Drydo had barely done much during the fight with them, and had merely blocked their attacks, but not fought back. A chill ran down his spine at the thought of how powerful Drydo could possibly be.

"Well," Scott snapped, "you may not want to fight, but we do. X-Men, move!"

"Boring." Drydo yawned. Raising his left hand slightly, he snapped his finger. Fire sparked from his fingers, and then, just as Evan reached him first, ready to do some spike-flinging, a huge blast of flames flared up on the ground, nearly frying Evan.

"Whoa! Watch out!" Reacting fast, Jean used her telekinesis to pull Evan backwards as he yelled aloud with shock.

"Back off, won't you?" Drydo sighed. "I already said I have no interest in fighting insects like you."

"And I would listen to him, if I were you," Magneto put in.

_Spread out and take them down, _Jean instructed. _Kurt, Kitty, get Rogue close enough to touch him. _

_We'll try! _

"You people are so lame," Drydo sighed, watching as the X-Men split up and approached him and Magneto from different directions. "Magneto, get rid of them for me, won't you? I prefer to save my firepower for…other things."

Magneto grunted, clearly not too thrilled at being bossed around, but still obliged to do so anyway. Sniffing the air exaggeratedly, he went for Logan first, lifting him up casually and leaving him suspended several feet above the ground.

"I can almost smell your metal, Wolverine," Magneto remarked. "So much metal…do you never learn your lesson?"

Logan grunted with rage, but was unable to do anything. The other X-Men had frozen, and were looking at him with looks of open worry now. Jean's eyes flickered back and forth between Magneto and then she moved her hand discreetly, trying to lower Logan to the ground.

Drydo's eyes landed on Jean, and her comrades who were trying to sneak up on him and Magneto. At that moment, a little smile crept over his face. He moved his wrist ever so slightly, and then suddenly, another wall of fire flared up violently, searing all the X-Men who were unlucky enough to be near him.

"You are all so slow-witted," Drydo sighed. "How many times must I repeat myself?"

_No more direct approaches, _Jean instructed the others telepathically. _We need to use long-range techniques to take him down. Scott, blast away! I'll try to save Logan. _

_You got it! _Eager to stop Drydo quickly, Scott adjusted his glasses and turned his eyes towards Drydo again, giving him a fierce blast of eye lasers.

Drydo must have anticipated the move, for he was already beginning to move out of the way even before Scott attacked, using a small gust of wind to propel himself away. Scott muttered an expletive under his breath, and tried again. But Drydo was capable of moving much faster, and immediately spiralled upwards with the wind on his feet.

"Now you're annoying me," Drydo sighed, his eyes glinting with wicked mischief. "Magneto, ignore that kitty there and just watch me. You might like to see a demonstration of some of my powers."

"Show off," Magneto muttered softly, but did so obligingly, roughly hurling Logan against a metal pole nearby with enough force to break bones. The metal pole bent backwards hard, leaving behind a Logan-shaped imprint, and Logan groaned with pain as he slid downwards.

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Jean bellowed. Seeing a large recycling bin nearby – thankfully not made of metal, Jean levitated it upwards and flung it with full force at Magneto.

With a flick of his finger, Drydo sent a huge blast of fire straight towards the flying bin. It immediately exploded into flames, sending paper and other recycled items into a merry dance in mid-air.

"It's been a long time since my patience has been stretched this far," Drydo warned, some of the earlier humour leaving his face. "And at the moment, it's been stretched almost far enough to break."

"We're not stopping until we've taken you down!" Evan retorted. Working quickly, he formed several bone spikes in his arm at top speed and plucked out one, positioning it like a spear.

Again, Drydo sent out another blast of fire at it, his body barely moving. Evan did not cease his attacks, but continued to hurl more bone spikes at Drydo.

Drydo neatly blasted away all his spikes with fire, at the same time watching the other X-Men. The red-haired mutant was starting to get busy as well, levitating surrounding objects upwards and sending them his way, while the brown-haired man with red glasses moved into position, evidently waiting for the right moment to send another one of those annoying eye blasts at him. The others were hovering around them, poised to move into action. It seemed, though, that not all of them had long-range techniques.

"Oh, I might as well put an end to this nonsense right now," he muttered to himself. "_Thrysta far_!"

There was no warning to it whatsoever. All of Drydo's previous attacks seemed to pale compared to this final one. The ground seemed to vibrate as if there was an earthquake, and then walls of fire literally rose up like bombs, blasting and searing everything in their way. It was like hell on earth, with enough heat to fry a person alive in seconds. Magneto felt sweat dripping down his face, heat burning him alive.

Drydo let the fire burn for a while, before lowering the walls of fire after several minutes. The X-Men were still alive, huddled together in a group, protected by Jean's shield. They were not unscathed, though. Rogue was clutching her arm with full force, her face twisted into a grimace of sheer pain. Scott himself was groaning and nursing his burned side, and the others all smelled of smoke.

"Goodness!" Logan breathed. "I thought we were all going to turn into a bunch of fireballs!"

"He's indeed tougher than we thought," Jean panted. "Rogue, I think it's up to you now. You have to get close to him and absorb his powers!"

"It's too dangerous!" Kurt protested. "Rogue could be burned the moment she reaches him!"

"Not if you work fast enough," Scott pointed out. "Kurt, if you teleport her right next to him…"

"It's too risky," Kitty interrupted. "You've already seen what he can do!"

"Then, Kitty, you make Rogue intangible and get her close. Go now!"

"Alright." Kitty looked rather dubious, but obediently grabbed Rogue's arm and slipped past Jean's shield, heading straight for Drydo.

Drydo began to bombard them with more fireballs, but in Kitty's intangible state, it was impossible to hurt her or Rogue. Kitty smiled with triumph and increased her pace, while Rogue pulled off both her gloves.

"Oh ho. Intangibility, eh? And I'm guessing you intend to try some short-range technique on me," Drydo said. Bending his knees, he ceased his fireball attack and flew upwards, well away from Kitty and Rogue.

_Storm, hit him now! _Jean instructed.

Storm summoned a massive blast of lightning in her hand, letting the electricity crackle and sizzle to full power before hurling it straight at Drydo. Smiling grimly, she knew it was not something he would be able to avoid, and not something that would only hurt him mildly. The lightning bolt found its aim, and struck true. Around her, the other X-Men held their breath and waited for the outcome.

"No way!"

All jaws dropped and eyes bulged as they struggled to ensure they were not hallucinating. Drydo was still levitating in mid-air, as cool as a cucumber, not even mildly affected. There was no smoke puffing out from him, and signs whatsoever on him. He looked down at his arms with raised eyes, and calmly brushed them as if brushing dust away.

"Impossible!" Storm choked. "I hit him dead-on, I know that!"

"Actually, you did," Drydo said, and Storm's jaw hung even looser, if that was possible.

"How…"

"Let's just say that I'm gifted with a very wide variety of abilities, old lady."

Incensed, Storm glared back at him with narrowed eyes.

"Now, why don't we see what happens when I do _this_!" Without giving the X-Men time to get over their shock, Drydo did the same as Storm, and summoned two lightning bolts in his hands, generously pelting the X-Men with them.

Jean grunted aloud with the effort of trying to maintain the shield around her comrades. "I can't hold this forever!" she said desperately, as Drydo kept up the lightning attack, sending eerie flashes of blue light through the air. "He's too strong! Ahhhh!" The last of her energy drained out of her, and the shield was dispelled at once, while Jean groaned and slumped to her knees.

"Jean!" Scott hurried to her side and tried to help her back to her feet, in vain. "Jean, you've got to…look out!" His voice rose to a scream as Drydo formed yet another lightning bolt and drew back his arm for the final blow that would definitely kill them.

"Move!" Logan bellowed, as he snatched up Jean and slung her over his shoulders. Not that there was any need to be told to do so, for the X-Men were already scattering madly, so weary and frightened that they could scarcely breathe normally.

Beneath their aching feet, the ground grumbled and shifted, before suddenly tearing upwards. The X-Men yelled aloud with shock, and hastily tried to halt, but the tremendous movement of the ground made that feat impossible. Down they went, hitting the ground hard and scraping knees and hands badly.

Drydo continued to enjoy the sport, manipulating the ground with such skill that within half a minute, the eight X-Men found themselves meshed together in an undignified pile on the ground, helpless and desperate. Drydo's evil chuckle echoed above them as he floated towards them, clapping his hands with glee.

"Oh, this was just too easy!" he scoffed. "Didn't I warn you already that you're not worth bothering with? Now look at what you've done to yourselves."

Hyperventilating, Kurt began to move subtly, determined to teleport everyone away at once.

"Ah ah ah." Drydo waggled his finger as if reprimanding a naughty child, and made a subtle movement with his other hand. "No-one's going anywhere. Not when you can all die a…heroic death together."

A chill slithered down the X-Men's spines, knowing they were dangerously close to death indeed. Growing more desperate by the second, Jean tried to levitate everyone away, only to feel a tremendous weight pressing down on her legs. Twisting herself sideways, she peered at them, and realized that the ground had bizarrely curled itself around everyone's legs and waists, rendering them immobile.

_Kurt, Kitty, move NOW!_

They didn't have to be told twice. Kurt immediately teleported out of the earth shackles, while Kitty simply phased herself out, whereupon the duo immediately got down to trying to free the others. But they had barely tasted their momentary mobility when something seemed to freeze them in place.

"What the…"

"Oh, this is my favourite," Drydo said gleefully. "Controlling people from the inside…this is just too fun!"

"Can't…teleport," Kurt gasped, frozen in place like a statue.

"What have you done to them?" Evan spluttered.

"It's my little secret technique, dear. Can't tell you." Drydo winked. "But it doesn't matter now, does it? Coz you're all going down." Raising his hands, he summoned a fireball in one hand, lightning bolt in the other. Standing only several meters away from them, it would be impossible for him to miss. "Now, take one last look at life, for this will be the last thing you see. Goodbye!"

Drydo thrust his hands forward to finish the job, and the X-Men could do nothing in the world but brace themselves for death.

**Like this? I admit, I did have great fun writing this, for some reason. **


	51. To the Rescue

Drydo thrust his hands forward and sent forth the largest mass of fire and lightning anyone had ever seen. Not quite satisfied with it, he decided to summon a fire wall as well, to add on to the force of his final attack. The ground actually cracked wide open as well, stones flying wildly everywhere, and he clearly heard cries of distress.

"And that's what happens to all worthless insects who gets on my nerves."

Feeling satisfied that all of them were gone and of no more threat to him, he dispelled the fire wall, and his eyes narrowed at what he saw. Some sort of black shield had been spread, protecting the X-Men from what would have been certain death. As he stood there, analysing the situation, the shield came down, and he saw that another person had arrived on the scene, a very familiar person wearing black and dark blue.

"Drydo." Raven ignored the X-Men behind her and stared at her opponent coldly. "You again. Looks like you and trouble are never too far apart."

Drydo opened his mouth to snap back sharply, just as Nightwalker made his appearance, taking up position next to Raven. The two men stared each other down for several seconds, then Drydo got in the first word.

"You again, Xildarinian?"

"I could say the same of you," Nightwalker retorted.

Drydo was fully alert now, no longer the complacent, mocking figure he had been earlier. Casting one look behind at the X-Men, who were still bound to the ground, he made a quick gesture with his hand and freed them.

Murmuring with shock, the X-Men rose to their feet, staring at Raven with utter disbelief and shock. It was as if a ghost had just materialized itself in front of them. Raven, however, was paying them no attention whatsoever, as if they were invisible. All her attention was solely fixed on Drydo.

"No way! Rachel?" Evan whispered.

"Well, well, this is going to be a most interesting fight," Drydo remarked. "Two of you against one of me. Well, I just took down eight insects single-handedly. Think you two can stand a chance against me?"

"Rachel, be careful!" Kitty cried out. "This guy's a lunatic! You wouldn't believe how much power he has!"

"I know exactly what powers he has," Raven replied coolly. "And I know how to counter them. Don't worry about me."

Taken aback by her calm, casual demeanour, Kitty could only stare. Her heart was racing a thousand miles per hour, shock and relief dancing together in a bizarre blend. Rachel was here, right in front of them. After all their efforts in trying to find her, here she was again, brought there by a most unpleasant situation.

"So you know what my abilities are," Drydo sighed. "Well, that's a pity. I'd love to have shown you what I can do, but I guess that won't happen."

"Knock it off," Nightwalker commanded. "If you want to fight us, come at us."

"Actually, I was just about to do that. Thanks for your timely reminder." An evil grin spread over Drydo's face, sending a chill down Kitty's back.

Scott was watching everything with an open mouth. "I can't believe it," he kept saying over and over again. "Of all people…I can't believe Rachel saved us!"

"Really? I suppose you're just dreaming, then." Kitty glared at him, and he wisely shut his mouth.

Drydo took several steps backwards and went on the offense again. Fireballs flared up and launched themselves in Raven's direction.

"Look out!" Rogue bellowed.

Raven barely even blinked. It was Nightwalker who moved, neatly diverging the flames away from Raven and absorbing them into his body. Like all Xildarinians, he was fully impervious to fire and lightning. The X-Men were gasping openly, evidently not expecting that.

_Nightwalker, we need to put out all that fire too! _

_I think we have to take this guy down first, or there'll be even more fires to put out later. _

Drydo stood his ground, eyeing Raven and Nightwalker. The two of them stared back, calm and still, but alert and watchful every second. Silently, Raven thanked Karzor for all the times he had instructed her and Nightwalker to face off each other in mock combat, for that gave her some knowledge of how to counter a Xildarinian's attacks. She could only hope that the same techniques would apply to Drydo.

Drydo chose to strike first, bombarding Raven and Nightwalker with fire, evidently hoping to scorch Raven. But Nightwalker was always prepared for the attacks, and kept absorbing the fire before it could strike Raven.

_He seems to have a natural affinity for fire, I think. See the way he attacks? Some of these aren't exactly normal fire techniques. _

_Well, at least we know there's someone here with an affinity for water. _

Thinking quickly, Nightwalker abandoned his fire defence techniques and switched to water weaving in the blink of an eye. With too little time to make use of any fire hydrant that might be nearby, Nightwalker made use of the moisture in the air instead, accumulating and weaving the water to form it into a massive ball, dousing Drydo with it. As Drydo made a hasty, last-minute effort to block the ferocious water-ball, Raven used a single energy blast to break open a nearby water hydrant.

_Nightwalker, there's plenty of water available now! Use it to put out all that fire! _

_I'm a little busy! _Nightwalker replied, as he and Drydo began a water-match, each seeking to hit the other with a cold splash. _Raven, you'll have to do it! _

_I'm not an expert…_

_You can do it! Go! _

Frowning, Raven poured all her concentration into what she needed to do and tried to recall all the water-manipulating techniques Nightwalker had shown her before. Encased in black energy, the water altered its directions and headed towards the flames, putting them out amidst hisses and massive puffs of smoke. Jean took one look at her, and immediately leaped in to help, using her own telekinesis to manipulate the water as best as she could.

"Damn you!" Drydo swore. In a moment of rashness, he abandoned his fight with Nightwalker and aimed a powerful blast of wind at Raven.

"Look out!" Nightwalker yelled, as he prepared to block the air ball.

Raven reacted at exactly the same time as Nightwalker, flying upwards while Nightwalker dispelled the wind before it could harm anyone. Drydo cursed aloud in English and another tongue, and angrily released his next attack: a frightful-looking fire dragon with a most realistic-looking eyes and jaws. It grew larger and larger, and sparks of fire flew forth from it.

"I love fire," Drydo said, stating the obvious. "You know, I found I've always had a natural affinity for it since I was just a little kid."

"That's obvious, isn't it?" Nightwalker retorted, keeping a close eye on the dragon and calling up all his knowledge of fire attacks and the best way to counter them.

"Then try countering this!" Drydo made a sharp motion with his hands, and the fire dragon seemed to go off into a huge explosion, growing and growing until it was fifty times larger. Red eyes gleamed in its fiery head, and as it opened its jaws to roar, it exposed a considerable amount of fangs.

_Is this…_

_A secret fire technique, yes. It's been some time since I've seen one! _

_You can counter it, I hope? _

_Karzor taught me quite a number of secret water techniques, so yes, I think we can manage this together. _

_What can I do? _Raven asked, as Drydo concentrated on bringing the fire dragon to full power. The X-Men were staring at it with open eyes and loose jaws, backing away slowly.

_Raven, keep Drydo occupied as long as you can. I'm gonna use a secret water technique to stop this fellow before it's out of control. _

_It sure would be good if the other Titans were here. _

_Yeah, except I think that fighting a super-powered villain will take them time_, Raven remarked. Barely half an hour ago, the Titans had received an emergency call from the cops about a villain with immense powers terrorizing the city. The seven of them had rushed to the scene, and less than a quarter-way through the fight, Robin had received another call, saying that Drydo was on the loose again. Nightwalker had insisted on going alone, but in the end, Raven had worn him down with her argument, saying that under no circumstances was she going to let him face Drydo alone.

Drydo was cackling like a madman, obviously enjoying the moment thoroughly. Nightwalker, in return, was focussing on a secret water-weaving technique Karzor had taught him, his eyes gleaming with an eerie blue light. Raven looked around quickly, and made use of the multiple objects scattered around them that were still left intact. Bins, poles, empty vehicles.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven let her power surge throughout her body as she levitated the objects upwards, directing them towards Drydo with all her might.

Drydo blocked the metallic objects with ease, returning them back to their sender. Raven blocked the attack just as easily, looking around for some non-metallic objects to use. Spotting a huge recycling bin nearby that was _not _made of metal, Raven went straight for it, not directly attacking Drydo directly. Instead, she launched it towards him until it nearly hit him, then, as Drydo flinched and tried to dodge it, Raven swirled the bin around in the air and altered its direction sharply, striking Drydo on the rear.

_Good work. _Raven clearly heard the approval in Nightwalker's telepathic voice as he continued to muster up more power for what Raven suspected was going to be a massive water attack.

"You are even worse than those X-Men bugs!" Drydo spluttered. "Magneto! Can't you do something about them?"

All along, Magneto had been lying low so quietly that Raven had nearly forgotten he was there as well. Now, the metal-loving mutant moved out from the shadows, smirking at Raven.

"One of the Teen Titans, isn't it?" he said, eyeing Raven up and down. "I've heard of you…superheroes quite a lot these days."

"Then you know why we're here," Raven replied coldly. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Eyes glowing, she used dark energy to form a huge hand, grabbing Magneto and slamming him backwards against a wall.

Magneto regained his composure with surprising speed, glaring furiously at Raven. His hands moved at his side, and Raven snapped into action straightaway before Magneto could attack. Using more dark energy, she grabbed him again and lifted him high into the air, squeezing him as hard as she could before dropping him. Thanks to her speed and skill, Magneto was promptly knocked unconscious from the impact, and lay where he had fallen.

"Good work, Rachel!" Kitty yelled out.

Raven ignored Kitty and focussed her attention on Drydo again. He was now concentrating on more fire attacks, trying to take her and the X-Men down. Raven instinctively braced herself for the attack, ready to fling up a shield at any moment.

But Nightwalker was the one who struck the next blow. With his energy at its peak now, he stretched his left arm out sideways, keeping his other arm near him, palm facing downwards. Behind him, water rose up in a straight, steady stream. As Raven watched Nightwalker, he murmured something inaudible under his breath, his eyes glowing like candles.

"Whoa!" Raven could clearly hear the X-Men's murmurs of shock as the water pillar behind Nightwalker expanded, until it looked as if there was enough liquid to form an entire ocean. Drydo watched Nightwalker with narrow eyes, and Raven felt a sudden shift in his emotions.

"Well, this is going to be interesting," Drydo drawled. "Someone with an affinity for fire versus someone with an affinity for water. I wonder how this is going to turn out?"

Nightwalker said nothing. He was standing very still, all his attention fixed on the liquid behind him. Drydo was all-prepared for the upcoming clash, bound to be a monumental one, his hands busy with summoning yet more fire attacks. Standing face-to-face opposite each other, Drydo and Nightwalker looked like men about to enter the greatest war of their lives.

And then, the clash came. The water behind Nightwalker swirled round wildly once more, before taking on the distinct shape of a huge water dragon with gleaming gold eyes. Behind Raven, Scott let out a long, slow whistle of awe as he stared at the scene. Raven grimaced slightly, knowing the clash was going to be far from pleasant. Already she was summoning dark energy to her hands; she had to be ready to contain the explosion that would surely follow up.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Nightwalker's cry heralded the sudden collision of fire and water. Raven immediately produced an energy shield around the clash, and Jean did the same, both of them straining to contain the sheer force of the explosion that ensued. All of them heard the deafening _boom_, and saw, through Raven's black shield, the smoke radiating from the clash. The force of it nearly blew the shields apart, but with tremendous effort, Raven and Jean managed to hold their ground.

_You OK? _

_I'm fine. Is Drydo…_

Raven did not answer immediately, as she busied herself with focussing on their opponent's aura.

_He's still up,_ Raven reported seconds later. _Well, it looks like you're in need of help. _

_Help me out all you want. _"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Without waiting for the smoke to clear, and using his telepathy to locate Drydo, Nightwalker gathered up some water that was lying so abundantly on the ground and transformed it into a whip, lashing out at Drydo.

Drydo's muffled curse informed him that he had struck his target head-on. Smiling grimly, Nightwalker nodded at Raven as she flew in to help, and together, they launched another attack, Nightwalker lashing out with a triple water whip, and Raven with an energy blast.

Unable to see through the thick smoke, Drydo found himself hit by water and dark energy at the same time, sending him reeling backwards for several meters. Losing all his patience, he bellowed something in a foreign tongue, and used a gust of wind to blow the smoke away, giving himself a better view. He was just in time to see Raven and Nightwalker standing side-by-side and preparing for another attack.

Drydo tore up the ground beneath their feet, shaking the earth with enough force to cause an earthquake. After some shaking and instability, Nightwalker reacted to it fast, planting his feet firmly on the shaking ground to stabilize it. As he did so, Drydo tried to attack Raven, using lightning this time.

Nightwalker immediately altered the path, absorbing it into his body deftly. Drydo watched him, and the tiniest smile crept over his face. It didn't take much eyesight to notice the way in which Nightwalker was constantly defending Raven. Perhaps the best way to keep Nightwalker from attacking him was by attacking his friend…

Raven saw another bout of lightning coming straight towards her, accompanied by a huge stream of fire. Again, it was Nightwalker who leaped to her defence, this time throwing himself directly in front of her.

"A little cowardly, aren't you, to be attacking the vulnerable one?" Nightwalker sneered.

"Battle tactics." Drydo shrugged his shoulders casually and directed another blast of fire towards Raven, directing it sideways.

"Enough is enough!" Raven snapped, losing her patience as well. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Eyes glowing like balls of fire, she levitated Drydo upwards and smashed him furiously into a wall. As she levitated him upwards again, however, intending to deliver a final blow, Drydo managed to surround himself in a ball of wind, twisting himself away from the wall.

Knowing the blow would have an effect on him, Nightwalker took the opportunity to tear up a metallic pole nearby, using it to swat Drydo hard, before coiling the pole around him to immobilize him. But Drydo would not go down without a fight, and with a roar of fury, he exploded the pole into fragments, freeing himself.

"So, it looks like I haven't been using enough power on you two!" he snarled. "Well, that ends now! Feel the true strength of my power, and DIE! _Carshor futrio yedos!" _

"Oh no," Nightwalker muttered, looking uneasy for the first time.

"What…"

"I think he's about to unleash a pretty nasty attack!"

"What sort of…"

"You're about to see. Shield up!"

Raven didn't have to be told twice. Already Drydo was completely surrounded by fire now – black fire. The ground around him was shaking and trembling noticeably, and his eyes were gleaming with unholy fury.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos. _Minahi kayo ryoso_!"

Nightwalker, in turn, began to glow as well, with a bluish light. Arms outstretched at his sides, he continued to murmur words in another language. Raven felt the surge of energy emerging from both fighters, and a chill crept down her spine. She had never felt this much energy coming from Nightwalker, and judging from how much he was exuding, Drydo was certainly about to unleash an unspeakable power.

The ground shook with more violence, and cracked wide open. Fire began to flare up from the ground in huge, tall pillars that rose up to the sky, black in colour instead of red. It was followed up by some massive explosions, and Raven hastily flung up some shields to try to contain them.

"You're not stopping me this time!" Drydo bellowed. "_Szyrios foton_!"

_Shield up now! And don't look! _

The world around them literally exploded at that moment. Fire and lightning sizzled more fiercely than a storm, the ground threatened to form a monumental chasm, and air, water and metal swirled around Nightwalker and Drydo madly. Gasping, Raven flung up a shield at once, squeezing her eyes shut lest they be burned out of their sockets by the blinding light. She heard a series of deafening explosions, and she wondered if it would be like this when the world ended. The force of the clashing energies was unbelievable, and Raven released another cry of 'Azarath Metrion Zinthos!' in an effort to strengthen the shield. There was so much movement and violence that Raven couldn't help but wonder if it would ever end.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Raven felt the energy dwindling bit by bit until it was all gone. Slowly, she dispelled the shield and opened her eyes, a little sore as light hit them. Nightwalker and Drydo were now kneeling in the middle of the horrible wreck they had created, both of them panting, shoulders rising and falling rapidly. It looked as if the world's greatest war had just been launched there.

_Nightwalker…_

_I'm fine. Stop Drydo now! This is the best chance! Using this sort of power weakens him! Now, Raven! _

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Seizing the opportunity, Raven summoned a massive blast of energy and hurled Drydo sideways against a wall, hoping to knock him unconscious. But weak as Drydo was, he still somehow managed to cushion himself by using a blast of wind to reduce the impact.

"Heh. You're going to need a lot more than that to stop me," Drydo taunted.

Nightwalker was still gasping painfully, unable to rise. It was the first time Raven had ever seen him looking so exhausted. Knowing this was up to her now, she gritted her teeth, and prepared for the next attack. This could be her only chance…

"A lot more to stop you? Like THIS, perhaps?"

Drydo yelled aloud like a frightened child as some sort of electronic disc came flying, exploding right next to him and disorienting him even more. Even before Raven saw them, she felt their auras, and in spite of the grim situation, she managed to smile.

"You're a little late," she remarked dryly, looking up at her Titan friends.

"My apologies," Robin replied seriously. "I'm afraid our previous opponent was a little tougher to handle, with two of you gone. But now that we're here…" He smiled grimly and crackled his fist against his other hand.

"Wow! The Teen Titans!" Kitty was looking most delighted. "I can't believe this! They're all here right now!"

"Uh-huh." Scott was looking slightly sceptical. "Let's hope they fare better than us."

"To be honest, if so many of us couldn't take him down, how can they?" Rogue asked.

"Oh, I'm sure Rachel has a few tricks up her sleeves, and so do the others," Evan said, with force cheerfulness. "After all, they're not superheroes for nothing, are they?"

"For their sakes, let's hope you're right," Kurt muttered.

Looking fresh and alert, as if their previous fight had been nothing, Robin, Terra, Beast Boy, Starfire and Cyborg swooped down onto the scene, eyeing Drydo. He looked bruised, battered and exhausted, but there was no mistaking the self-same smug expression on his face.

"Aw, I still have more enemies to fight?" he groaned.

"Oh yes you do," Cyborg said sternly. "No-one can wreck havoc here and not face us." Like Robin, he crackled his knuckles, and Drydo sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Am I glad to see you," Raven said. "I was starting to think I'd have to handle this madman alone."

"What? Is Nightwalker out of commission already?" Beast Boy asked.

"Hey, I can still…"

"You take a break and let us handle this," Raven interrupted. "We can't have you fainting right here."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let us go kick the butt!" Starfire urged.

"Indeed," Robin agreed. "Titans, go!"

**Yup yup, now Raven and the X-Men can have a little reunion, eh? Ah, I did love writing up this chapter. Longest chapter yet! **

**Anyways, the little reunion will be complete (with the battle) in the next chapter! **

**Please review! **


	52. Defeating Drydo

Nightwalker sensed this fight was going to be far less intense than the previous one. The Titans were looking just as fresh and calm as people who had newly emerged from a bath, while Drydo was looking pure exhausted. Besides, six people against one didn't look too good for the one person.

Together, the Teen Titans mounted a final attack on Drydo. Before the villain could move, he found himself pelted heavily by a combination of starbolts and sonic cannon blasts. A groan of pain emerged from his mouth as he received the full force of the Titans' attacks, while smoke rose from his body. Moaning softly, he struggled to get up and fight, only to find himself face-to-face with a triceratops running straight towards him and bulldozing him off his feet.

Flying through the air rapidly, unable to stop himself, he felt his back suddenly striking some hard and rocky, jarring his spine. Terra had ripped up the ground behind him, using an earth pillar to suddenly halt his flight abruptly. As Drydo slumped downwards, frantically trying to conjure up another fire attack, Robin and Raven charged at him in unison, fists clenched.

"Ugh!" Drydo tried to hurl fire at them, but Raven was prepared for it and immediately flung up a shield to protect herself and Robin. As Drydo tried it again, Raven propelled the shield forward, using it to block Drydo's hands completely. Momentarily distracted, Drydo failed to defend himself as the two Titans began a barrage of attacks with their arms and legs, utilizing all their close combat skills. Together, Robin and Raven made a formidable duo, and Drydo soon found himself well-decorated with bruises.

Furious, humiliated, and in pain, Drydo blasted Robin and Raven away with a gust of wind, before trying another fire attack. But he never made it, for Nightwalker, watching everything from where he was, deflected the flames neatly, making sure they never left Drydo's hands.

"Nightwalker, you can take it easy for now," Raven said. "You've just…"

"What, you think I'm too weak to fight?" Nightwalker retorted, with good humour. "What makes you think so?" As if to prove his point, he floated over to them, but Raven didn't fail to notice how much effort he was forcing into his movements.

Drydo looked up at Nightwalker with burning eyes filled with hatred, his teeth gritted. Nightwalker returned his intense gaze with a neutral expression, giving nothing away, and raised his hands. Water accumulated, and Drydo swore aloud with rage as Nightwalker lashed him sharply with the liquid, knocking him backwards. As he stumbled, trying to regain his precarious balance, Robin gave him a flying kick, making Drydo strike the ground.

"Terra, now!"

Terra immediately tore up the ground and neatly folded it over Drydo like a blanket. Drydo's reaction was to bust himself free, but his pain and exhaustion drastically slowed his reflexes, and before he could make his move to liberate himself, Raven used her dark energy to form a massive hand, pinning Drydo down.

"Give it up," she said coldly. "It's over. You're down and defeated. There's nothing more you can do."

"Damn you all!" Drydo cried. "You'll regret this one day, I promise you!"

Raven cast him an expressionless glance, her eyes narrowed. "We've heard that kind of thing more times than we can count," she said flatly. "You might as well find something new to say."

With a roar of rage, Drydo released a surprisingly powerful blast of lightning from his entire body, shattering the earth blanket over him and startling Raven so that she accidentally released the energy hand. Wobbly on his feet, he aimed a lightning bolt at Raven, all his anger and hatred focussed on her. Cyborg bellowed a warning, and almost immediately, Nightwalker diverted the lightning away from his friend, channelling it into his own body. Ignoring his exhaustion, Nightwalker utilized a useful water technique Karzor had taught him, accumulating water and forming them into semicircular-shaped whips, whirling them round in an intricate pattern to keep Drydo distracted. Drydo kept an eye on them, his eyes wild.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Nightwalker aimed the water whips towards Drydo quickly, his hands shaking slightly from the effort. Drydo flung out his hands to block the whips, and as he did so, Nightwalker vapourized the water at top speed, before liquefying it again and smashing it into Drydo from all angles. As Drydo stumbled, Nightwalker skilfully splashed more water into Drydo's eyes, freezing it to blind him. Drydo instantly liquefied the water and swiped it away from his eyes, but that one moment of blindness gave Starfire enough time to smash into him with her full strength, before pelting him with another round of starbolts.

Cyborg backed up Starfire, blasting Drydo with his sonic cannon again. The combined force of it lifted Drydo off his feet and offered him a merry flight backwards. Terra joined in quickly, ripping up a rock from the ground and smashing it into Drydo with all her might.

"I'm finishing this off now!" Raven shouted. "Azarath Metrion ZINTHOS!" Propelling all her energy into her final move, Raven lifted Drydo upwards and thrust her hand forward, slamming Drydo into the wall with all her might. At long last, that accomplished what she and her friends had set out to do. Drydo's eyes rolled back in his head before closing, and his body went as limp as a rag doll.

Still not trusting him, the Titans approached him with extreme caution, keeping their distance. It was Raven who gently probed his mind, confirming that he was indeed unconscious.

"Good work, Titans." Robin smiled with approval.

"We did it again! Bull yah!" Cyborg cheered loudly.

"We kicked the butt! Oh joy!"

Grinning at Starfire, Beast Boy gave her a high five.

"And what do we do with this terrorist?" Terra asked. "Jail would be useless. He'd probably break out in two seconds!"

"I'll simply send him to another dimension," Raven offered.

"What?" The others turned to look at Raven blankly.

"It's like sending him to another world," Nightwalker explained. "Raven's an expert in inter-dimensional travelling. All she has to do is open the door to some other dimension and toss him in there. Simple as that."

"What if he breaks out?"

"I've never known any Xildarinian who can travel to other dimensions," Nightwalker said. "Not even myself. And I doubt Drydo has mastery over that art, powerful as he is."

"But what if he does?" Robin insisted.

"We'll just have to be ready to stop him again, then," Raven said sensibly. "_Azarath Metrion Zinthos_. _Minahi mo dredon zinthos. Kayehi satohi arohi. Azarath Metrion ZINTHOS!" _Ending on that loud cry, Raven spread her arms apart, eyes glowing, and her companions murmured aloud with shock as a portal to nowhere appeared in mid-air. All the Titans saw beyond it was dark blue and black space and nothingness.

"Cyborg, toss him in."

"With pleasure." Striding over to Drydo's body, Cyborg hoisted him upwards like a sack of potatoes, positioned himself in front of the portal, and at a nod from Raven, he hurled Drydo forward.

Raven drew her hands back together smoothly, and the portal door followed her hand motions, sealing itself shut in a swirling mass of black and blue. Then it was gone, gone as if it had never been there at all.

"Whew." Beast Boy swiped the sweat away from his forehead with a damp hand. "This has been quite a day. Tackling two villains consecutively…I vote we go for some pizzas!"

"Oh yes! Do let us go!" Starfire beamed. "I think I can already hear my stomach growling!"

Terra's lips curved upwards, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Then what are we waiting for?" she asked. "Let's go."

Raven remained very still where she was, in the meantime, avoiding looking in the direction of the X-Men. Nightwalker cast them a single glance and tried to move towards Raven, but all his energy had completely deserted him. With a groan, he sank down to his knees, clutching his side with an arm.

"Whoa! Are you OK, buddy?" Cyborg reached him first, peering at him with concern. "Are you injured?"

"No. I'm just exhausted. Drydo was about to unleash a powerful forbidden technique, and countering that technique took out most of my energy, I'm afraid."

Raven hurried over to her friend's side and gripped him by the arm firmly, lowering him to the ground. "You sit down and take a break first," she said firmly. "Our pizza can wait."

Beast Boy groaned, looking far from pleased, but for once, refrained from blurting out another joke.

_Raven, aren't you going to say hi to your old friends? _

Raven sighed and blew out a long, steady stream of air from her mouth. _Do I have to_? she grumbled. _Do you think I'm looking that eager about this…reunion? _

_It's your choice. Besides, now that they've spotted you…_

_I could always just teleport us away. _

_Karzor would have quite a lot to say about running away. _

_This isn't running away from some troubles! _Raven retorted.

_Is it not? Besides, I think they're already coming to you. _

_Oh, perfect. _Raven felt far less calm than usual as she angled her head sideways and watched the X-Men approaching her slowly. Kitty was in the front, eyes wide open and pleading.

"Rachel, please. Don't run away this time," Kitty begged. "Can…will you let us at least talk?"

Raven paused and caught Nightwalker's eyes, fixed on her. He gave her the slightest nod, and Raven, realizing there was no choice, made herself face the X-Men.

"Very well," she replied reluctantly, wishing at that moment that she was a thousand miles away.

**OK, the reunion will be in the next chapter, not this one, otherwise it'd be too long, since the fighting part took up more ground than I predicted. **

**Okies, I just came up with the idea of writing some very short (probably one shot), unrelated crossovers stories featuring Nightwalker in them as well. What do you think? At the moment, I've already put up the prologue for a brief NarutoxTeen Titans crossover titled 'The Hunted'. I'd love it if you reviewed! Thank you! **


	53. Reunion

Raven found that words wouldn't come easily to her as she faced the X-Men again for the first time in ages. Kitty was smiling, but it would have been obvious even to a one-eyed person that it was forced, unnatural.

"Rachel…uh, how are you going?" Kitty asked awkwardly.

The Teen Titans were staring at the X-Men with open interest now, eyes raised at hearing Raven being called 'Rachel'. Only Nightwalker seemed unaffected, as he looked on quietly with a neutral expression that gave nothing away.

"The name's Raven now," Raven said coolly.

"Raven?" Rogue's eyebrows shot up.

"I don't answer to the name Rachel anymore," Raven said shortly. "So, what do you want with me now?"

"We just want to…catch up," Evan said truthfully. "After all, we haven't seen you in ages."

"Uh-huh." Raven folded her arms, making it perfectly clear she was not going to be the one to make conversation.

"Look," Scott began, "the last time we…"

"Scott." Jean elbowed him subtly in the side to shut him up and took over the conversation smoothly. "Rachel…I mean, Raven, I think this isn't quite the right place for a proper talk. Would you like back to the Institute with us?"

Raven's face remained surprisingly expressionless, her eyes unblinking. "No," she answered shortly. "I've got very little say to the Professor."

"But Raven, can't you spare just a little time for us, then?" Kitty pleaded, with huge eyes. "In the past, you've been, uh, slipping away from us whenever we did bump into each other on the streets. Can't you…"

"I've got nothing to say."

"But we do!" Kitty said. "We never had the chance to make peace with you. And I don't want to leave things like that between us."

"Kitty." Raven sighed and shook her head, as if talking to a naughty child. "There's nothing to be done about that. The past is the past. Do you think talking about it can change it?"

"No, but…"

"Kitty, please. I don't want to talk about the past. If you ever had any true friendship with me, let the past lie. I've learned to move on, and I'm happy with my life now. And I don't want anymore trouble with you."

"There never was any trouble with you," Storm said gently. "What happened was not all your fault. And about all that…I'm truly sorry."

The others nodded in agreement. "I'm sorry too," Kitty sighed. "In the end, I wasn't a good enough friend for you, clearly."

"Raven, who are these people?" Unable to suppress his curiosity any longer, Cyborg strode forward, and so did the others.

"People I once knew," Raven replied flatly.

"People you _once _knew?" Beast Boy echoed. "Why the past tense?"

"Because they were people from the past." It was Nightwalker who answered, his voice thick with rancour in spite of his best efforts to keep it down. "The X-Men."

"You know them too?" Terra asked.

"No. But Raven has spoken about them before," Nightwalker answered stiffly. His odd eyes swung towards the X-Men, and Kitty almost reeled from the rage and hatred she saw in them. What had Raven been telling him about them?

All eyes turned towards Nightwalker at once. "Really?" Starfire asked. "How come Raven never told the rest of us about it too?"

"Because stirring up a not-so-good past is the best way to tear open old injuries," Raven answered bluntly.

"What?" Cyborg's eyes narrowed as he caught on to the meaning. "Raven…are you saying…did they…" He looked like a bull ready to charge.

"Cyborg." Raven cast him a warning look, and he drew a deep breath, trying to control his temper. "It's not what you think, OK? Let me talk to them."

Kurt's face was deeply troubled. "I didn't realize we hurt you this much," he sighed. "Rach…Raven…"

"Forget it, Kurt. It takes two to tango, and no-one is to be fully blamed for it," Raven interrupted. "Well, X-Men, now that you know I'm still alive and in one piece, let's end this meeting."

"Not yet!" Kitty hastily caught Raven's hand and held on to it. "Please. Can't we talk a little longer? The Professor would love to see you too."

"I hardly think so."

"He would, kid," Logan grunted. "Believe me on that."

"It'll only take a while," Evan added.

Raven looked mildly suspicious, as if she was afraid she was walking right into a trap.

"Don't worry," Jean said reassuringly. "No-one's going to eat you up."

"And if anyone does," Cyborg butted in, "we'll be here to help you. Coz we're going along." His tone warned the X-Men that he was not going to take no for an answer.

"And if we're going along, we might as well get to know each other," Robin said, in a gallant effort to ease the noticeable tension. "I'm Robin, and this is Starfire, Cyborg, Terra, Beast Boy and Nightwalker."

Starfire greeted the X-Men just as enthusiastically as ever. The others were far more reserved, and as for Nightwalker, he was positively livid. The expression in his eyes told everyone he was more than willing to take down the X-Men in a fight there and then, but years of training kept him in control.

_Nightwalker, you want to wipe that expression off your face? You look like you intend to eat up someone! _

_Yeah? Well, I am finding it surprisingly hard to be nice to these people. _

_Cut it out. You don't have to be like this because of what I told you about them in the past. _

_Uh-huh. _

Raven sighed, but refrained from saying anything more.

"So, do you all have superpowers like us too?" Starfire asked loudly.

"We're mutants, so yes, we do have powers," Jean replied.

"Oh, this is cool!" Starfire smiled. "What can you do?"

Smiling at Starfire's enthusiasm in spite of the tense situation, Kitty cheerfully recited their abilities to Starfire, for her sake.

"And do you spend much time kicking the butt of the bad guys too?" Starfire asked.

"Uh, yes, we do kick butt when we have to," Evan said, looking a little puzzled at Starfire's question. He cast a look at Nightwalker, and the hostile look on his face made him wonder what sort of relationship he shared with Raven.

"Uh, Nightwalker?" Evan began awkwardly, trying to see if he could ease the Xildarinian's anger.

"What?"

"Earlier on, how did you absorb all that fire into your body?"

"That's part of my power."

"Really?" Rogue said. "So, you're a fire manipulator?"

"I've got control over all six elements," Nightwalker replied curtly.

"Earth, air, fire, water, metal and lightning," Starfire put in.

Logan nodded. "That would explain how you managed to stop that guy so easily," he grunted.

Nightwalker cast him a cold look. "It takes more than sheer power to defeat some."

The conversation with Nightwalker was clearly going nowhere. Grimacing, Evan turned to Starfire, the easy-going Titan, and engaged her in more conversation.

Raven let her friends chat with her once-comrades, while she stood back silently. She thought she ought to feel something that this reunion, perhaps anger, hurt, maybe a little apprehension, but all she felt was blankness, numbness. It seemed that Karzor's and Clelo's rigorous training had indeed robbed her of the ability to feel much. But it was good, she admitted. Very good. As long as she could hold back her feelings for longer, she could easily avoid anymore heated confrontations with the X-Men.

"Rach…Raven?"

"What?"

"Do you want to come along to the Institute now?"

"Fine." She felt Nightwalker's gaze fixed on her questioningly, and she telepathically replied, _I'm going, alright? Better to face the music now than later. _

_Then we're ALL coming with you. _

_Yeah, alright. Don't think I could stop you unless I send you all to another dimension. _

_Which I know you won't do. _

_Certainly not. Just try to hold back your temper, alright? I can feel your vibes from miles away! _

_I can keep it under control, yes, but I hardly think I can put on a nice smiley face for them. _

_I wasn't asking you to do that, you know. _

"Come on, Raven." Storm smiled kindly and gestured to Raven to follow her. "The Professor will be most delighted to see you again."

"And everyone else will too, I'm sure," Kurt added.

Raven pursed up her lips, looking most doubtful, but nodded anyway.

Nightwalker glanced at Scott, eyes narrowed, and noticed that he was eyeing Raven quietly, a mixture of apprehension and guilt blended together on his face. It was a pity Nightwalker wasn't an empath, he thought, for he wanted nothing more at that moment to get a good feel of Scott's true feelings about Raven.

"Alright, kids. Let's get going. X-Men, we'll take the cars. Raven, you and your friends…"

"We have our own transport, yes," Cyborg cut in, not too politely.

_Geez, they sure are friendly, _Scott thought.

_Can't really blame them, _Jean remarked. _Looks like Rach…Raven's got some pretty protective, good friends. _

Scott said nothing, but Jean saw a look of obvious guilt on his face.

"Follow us, Titans." Logan headed away, and the others followed.

"I'm sure glad we found you again," Kitty said softly to Raven.

"Uh-huh."

Kitty smiled a pained, sad smile. "Rachel, I'm truly sorry for what happened…"

"Please, drop it," Raven said, sounding impatient.

"Sorry."

Scott changed his footsteps and edged towards Raven, looking very ill at ease. "Raven, look," he began, picking his words with extreme care. "I…what I said…"

Raven glanced sideways at him through dangerously narrowed eyes.

"Thanks for saving us," Scott said in a rush, changing the topic smoothly. "You and Nightwalker did pretty good back there. If you hadn't intervened, I think we'd all be lying in a graveyard."

"Mmm. No problem."

The rest of their journey back to the Institute was done in silence. Raven and Nightwalker flew through the air side-by-side, with Starfire hovering nearby. The rest of the Titans had opted to ride along in Cyborg's T-car.

"Well, here we are." Jean, who had been levitating herself along smiled as the Institute loomed up before them at last. "See that mansion? That's where we X-Men live."

"Cool house!" Beast Boy's eyes were almost starry as he gazed upon the very large mansion.

Scott and Logan led the way into the mansion together. Much to Raven's relief, no other X-Men was in sight there yet. It was likely they were all lazing around in the mansion, enjoying the warm day.

"This way." Logan pushed open the door and led the way in. The main hall, much to Raven's relief, was empty too.

"Raven, your friends can wait downstairs here," Jean said. "I've contacted the Professor, and he said he wants to talk to you in private."

"That's fine."

"We'll be down here if you need us," Robin said.

"Thanks." Raven nodded at the Titans, thankful for their presence here, and flew upstairs alone.

She nearly ran into Bobby on the way, and only managed to avoid notice by retreating behind a wall quickly. Humming, Bobby went on his merry way, unaware of the guest hovering behind the wall. Within seconds, he was gone.

Raven breathed a sigh of relief and went on her way, stopping before the Professor's room. She could feel his presence inside, his aura the same as ever. Raising her hand, she knocked.

"Come in."

Raven phased through the door, not bothering to open it, and made herself face Xavier. The Professor was sitting on his wheelchair as usual, peering at something on his desk. As Raven made her silent entry, he looked up at once, and a rare smile blossomed over his face.

"Raven. Welcome back."

**TheDreamChaser: Heh heh, thanks for the correction. For some reason, I keep hearing Cyborg's words as 'bull-yah' instead of 'boo-yah'. Looks like my hearing is slightly impaired. Heh. **


	54. Back in the Institute

"So that's how you spent your time."

Raven nodded stiffly, thankful that Xavier wasn't pressing her for further details. In just a minute, she had truthfully told him – at his request – what she had been doing after her disappearance, giving only the barest details. She made no mention whatsoever about Karzor or Clelo, or being in another dimension, nor how Karzor had sealed away a huge portion of her powers.

"Would you consider staying with us again?"

"No." Raven made no attempt to be polite. "I'm already staying with my other friends, and I'm happy there. Besides, I think no-one would be too happy about me being in such close proximity with them."

"Raven, no-one hates you, even if you think so," Xavier sighed. "It's true there might have been some hostility on our part, but we don't think of you as someone to be hated, or greatly feared."

"I think you'll understand if I disagree."

Xavier sighed again, wondering hard how to deal with this stubborn, cold girl. "Raven…"

"Seriously, can we end this conversation soon?"

"Then let us at least make peace," Xavier said. "I don't want you to leave still thinking of us as your enemies."

Raven arched her eyebrows, eyes watching Xavier suspiciously.

"Please, Raven. Let's just put the past behind us and start again. If we can't be friends like old times, let's at least be allies. If you and your friends ever need us, just ask, and we'll be there."

"Right." Xavier could almost hear Raven thinking, _And the last time, no-one was really there for me. _

"Whatever's happened, I'm honestly glad to see you here again. Will you and your friends stay a while?"

"That's up to them. Good day, Professor." Just as abruptly as she had appeared, Raven now made her exit swiftly. The sooner she and the Titans were on their way, the better.

Unfortunately, in her dreamy state, she failed to detect Bobby and Jubilee heading in her direction side-by-side. As it was, the two mutants spotted her first. Both of them halted abruptly in their steps, staring at Raven with bulging eyes and mouths.

"Holy…Rachel!"

_Oh no. _Raven groaned inwardly as her heart lurched in her chest.

"Hey guys! Rachel's back!" Jubilee's excited voice was loud enough to be heard from miles away. "She's here!"

"Jubilee!"

Too late. A door nearby flew open, and Rahne's head popped out. Raven felt ready to make a disappearance at any moment now, but unfortunately for her, the other mutants were already beginning to exit their rooms, crowding around her.

"Rachel! You're back!"

"What happened to you?"

"Where did you disappear to?"

"First of all," Raven replied coolly, "the name's Raven now, not Rachel. And I'm not staying. I only came here to talk to the Professor."

"How can you not stay after vanishing for so long?" Roberto demanded.

"I have a right to choose where I want to stay," Raven retorted.

"But now that you're here, can't you stay just a little longer?" Amara asked. "Can't we at least…talk?"

"How much talking do I have to do?" Raven was beginning to lose her patience.

"Uh…"

"Forget it. I'm out of here." Raven made a dismissing gesture with her hand and strode down the stairs swiftly.

"Rach…Raven, wait!" Bobby hurried after her, almost tripping down the stairs in the process.

"Can't I be left alone even for a few minutes?" Raven grumbled.

"What's the matter? Are they bothering you?" As Raven reached the foot of the stairs, the tall Cyborg loomed up before her, hands on hips. Nightwalker was watching her from across the room, still struggling to control his anger. Only Starfire seemed to be at ease, as usual.

"Oh." Bobby and the other X-Men stopped and looked down at the Titans with surprise. "Hey Scott, are they…"

"Raven's friends, yes. The Teen Titans."

"The Teen Titans?" Rahne's eyes widened. "The famous crime fighters?"

"That's us, yes."

"So Rach…Raven's been with you all along."

"Uh-huh."

"Good to know she's got some friends, at least."

"Thank you for your concern," Raven said coldly, "but I'm not the loner you think I am. Titans…"

"Can we not stay longer?" Starfire pleaded, guessing what Raven was about to say. "It would be most nice to make friends with these X-Men. After all, they're the good guys, too. When we have bad guys to fight…"

"Starfire…" Robin began.

"Please, Raven? Please?" Starfire begged.

Resisting Starfire when she was in that mood was not simple at all. "Fine," Raven finally replied, with obvious reluctance.

"Oh, thank you!" Starfire flashed Raven a beaming smile and resumed her conversation with Kitty and Jean.

_Sorry about this, Raven. I know it must be hard for you. _

_Actually, it's not that bad. I thought it would be hell meeting them again, but well…_

_Well what? _

_It's tolerable. At least I've managed to come to an understanding with the Professor. That's better than nothing._

_Right. _

_I just hope that Starfire doesn't intend to spend the whole day chatting. _

The other X-Men warily drew the other Titans into conversation after introducing the others to them. Nightwalker watched everyone with narrowed eyes and folded arms, his expression just as hostile as before. Raven kept her mouth mostly shut, only answering questions now and then with very brief answers.

Eventually, the Titans relaxed, and began asking the X-Men more questions about their powers, how they tackled the bad guys, and how life was like as mutants. Beast boy brought out his arsenal of never-ending jokes, and was utterly delighted when the X-Men laughed at them.

_Looks like our friends are getting on well with them. _

_Yeah, well they do have lots in common with each other. _

_Uh-huh. _

_I mean, the X-Men can be considered crime fighters too, in a way. _

_Of course. But that doesn't mean they deserve to be looked upon as heroes. _

His telepathic voice was filled with obvious disdain, and Raven couldn't help but grimace. _You're not going to make an effort to get along with them, are you? _

_After the way they treated you? _

_So you're angry with them because of me. _

_Think whatever you like. _

Raven gave up at this point.

Robin was in the middle of talking to Scott when a distinct ringing sound emerged from his watch. The Titans went on the alert immediately, all eyes turning towards Robin.

"What's up?" Terra asked.

"Trouble going on at Loft Street," Robin reported. "And I mean _major _trouble!"

"Well then, let's move it!" Cyborg urged.

"Titans, go!"

"Sorry! Please excuse us!" Starfire said, as she turned round to address the X-Men.

"Actually, why don't we come with you?" Jean suggested.

Robin stopped in his sprint, paused, then nodded with approval. "Sounds good to me. The more, the better."

"Alright, then." Logan took charge of the X-Men with his usual efficiency. "I want the newer recruits to come along with me and Storm this time. Good chance for you to observe the professional crime fighters in action."

"Roger that." Bobby, Amara, Ray, Rahne, Roberto and Jubilee were looking surprisingly eager.

"Let's move!"


	55. Suggestion

The Titans and their X-Men backup arrived at Loft Street quickly, taking in the situation swiftly. It immediately became apparent to them that it was a hostage situation – and a very serious one. The SWAT team and a hostage negotiator were already hard at work, trying their hardest to talk the three hostage takers out of violence.

Three men with guns had their weapons pointed at five young women huddled together, shaking and terrified. All three hostage takers were literally out of their minds, shouting and screaming at the negotiator at the top of their lungs, making their ridiculous demands.

"I warn you, our companion has a bomb around here, and if you don't give us what we want, we're going to shoot these people and blow up the entire place!"

"You've gotta be kidding me," Logan muttered.

"Any idea how to stop a bomb from going off, Nightwalker?" Robin asked.

"Do I look like a bomb squad member? I work metal, not stop bombs from exploding!"

"Give us the rifles NOW!"

"Nightwalker, you've got to stop those guns from being fired," Robin said. "Raven, tell us where the guy with the bomb is. We've got to work fast here."

"Leave the guys with the gun to me. Raven, find the guy with the bomb and take him out. Let the bomb squad here deal with the bomb later."

The hostage negotiator was still patiently talking to the gunmen, calm and in control. As the X-Men looked on, eager to see how the Titans would handle this situation, Nightwalker made the first move, using his water weaving abilities to freeze the gunmen's hands in place before they could pull the triggers. As the three of the stiffened, sensing the immobility in their hands, Nightwalker whipped the guns out of their hands in unison, breaking them into little pieces.

"What the hell?"

Sensing their opportunity, the SWAT team moved into action at once, barging into the three offenders will full force, knocking them over and handcuffing them at top speed.

_Raven, have you found the bomb guy yet? _

_Yes, I've just taken him out. Tell the bomb squad to come east, just around the corner of the grey building. The bomb's right here with me. _

_Got it. _Nightwalker immediately headed over to the bomb squad and passed on the information to them.

"Titans, you've done it again. Thanks." One of the SWAT officers smiled at the team gratefully, while some of his colleagues rushed towards the hysterical women and helped them away.

"No worries, officer. Just doing our job."

The bomb squad returned soon enough with Raven and the suspect, faces filled with relief. "The area's secure now," one member reported.

"So much for very big trouble," Cyborg commented. "I was definitely expecting something much more dreadful! This was too easy to take care of."

"Hey, it was a double red code," Robin said. "And to people who don't have superpowers, this was major trouble! Besides, we're crime fighters. We're doing this to help people, not for fun or to gain glory!"

"Impressive," Logan was saying in the meantime. "They certainly handled it faster than we could have."

"They are good, I admit," Storm agreed.

The Titans were as cool as cucumbers as they excused themselves and departed, leaving the SWAT team to handle the suspects. The X-Men recruits were watching the Titans with shining, admiring eyes and as Nightwalker walked past them, Bobby clapped him on the back.

"Good job back there."

"Whatever." Nightwalker didn't even bother to look at him.

"OK." Bobby was looking somewhat awkward, his eyebrows raised.

_Let's say he isn't the friendliest Titan, _Jean told Bobby telepathically.

_Yeah, that's obvious now. What's up with him, anyway? _

_It seems he's a pretty good friend of Raven, and after the way we treated her…I don't think he's too fond of us for that. _

_Oh. _

"You know," Amara said, "seeing all this…it's got me thinking."

"About what?" Roberto asked.

"We ought to have a bit of a friendly fight with the Teen Titans, don't you think?" Amara suggested. "I mean, a match just to test each other's abilities, have some friendly competition…that sort of thing. And it would give us a chance to know each other better, don't you think?"

"Hmmm." Ray's eyes lit up at once. "I must admit, that sounds like a good idea. I'd love to see how we can match up against those Titans."

"If they agree in the first place," Bobby said, casting a surreptitious glance at Nightwalker.

"Why wouldn't they?" Roberto asked brightly. "After all, this is the perfect chance for us to show off our skills to each other. I'm sure they'd love it."

"Well then," Bobby said slyly, "then _you _can be the one to ask them."

"Fine." Roberto shrugged.

"Ask Starfire," Storm told him. "She's the friendly one."

All eyes were turned towards Roberto as he headed towards the Titans. He approached Starfire first, exchanging quiet words with her that his comrades couldn't hear. Starfire responded in a decidedly loud voice, beaming from ear to ear with obvious delight. Then she clapped her hands and floated away to Robin, excitedly reciting Roberto's proposal.

From where they were, it was too hard to hear Robin's response, but as far as the X-Men could tell, it seemed to be going fine, judging from the Titans' expressions. Raven's face was expressionless as usual, and Nightwalker looked nothing less than angry. With noticeable hand gestures, he made it clear what he really thought about it.

"He's not the happiest Titan, is he?" Amara sighed.

"Oh, let him be," Bobby said mildly. "I'm sure he'll eventually…warm up."

"Uh-huh."

Starfire finally flew back to the X-Men, her face all smiles. "Friends," she smiled, "Robin has agreed to have this match. He has invited all of you back to our tower for this purpose."

"Cool!" Rahne's face was all smiles as well now. "Your home is that huge T-shaped tower, right?"

"Yes."

"Even cooler."

"Well then, let's go," Robin said. "You go bring whoever wants to come. Starfire will lead you to the Tower. The rest of us will go back and prepare the place."

"Alright. X-Men, let's move. Make it quick. Don't keep them waiting."

The two groups split up efficiently, going their way, with Starfire hovering amidst the X-Men.

_I really don't think this is the best idea, _Nightwalker grumbled.

_Oh, just put up with it, _Raven retorted. _Do you know how uncomfortable you're making them? _

_That's their problem, not mine. _

_Unfortunately, now that our Titan friends seem interested in becoming further acquainted with them, I think we have little choice but to be nice. _

_Maybe you should remind me why I'm being so hostile? _

Raven sighed and rolled her eyes skywards. _Whatever. Can we just get going and try to be civil, at least? _

_Fine. Whatever you say. _

But even as they began their journey back home, Raven already couldn't help but wonder if this 'friendly' match was the perfect recipe for disaster.


	56. Friendly Fight

"Robin, are you there? Robin, come in."

"I'm here."

"I think we need a change of plans," Logan said. "It seems that nearly all the X-Men here are interested in seeing you Titans. And we wouldn't want to impose on you by storming your Tower in such great numbers. Perhaps you'd like to come over to our Institute instead?"

"Hold on a minute." Logan heard Robin conferring briefly with his friends in the background before addressing him through the communication device again.

"Yup, they're OK with it."

"Good. You want us to lead you here?"

"Raven said she can be our guide this time."

"Alright. See you there."

Raven carefully kept her face expressionless and neutral as she flew on towards the place that had once been her home, with Nightwalker flying next to her, the other Titans riding in the T-car. From where she was, she could still sense her friends' partially suppressed excitement and anticipation at the thought of sparring with the X-Men. Nightwalker was still in a less than good mood, his eyes cold and distant.

"I think it's going to be a good idea if I don't participate in this…this match," Nightwalker said. "Or else I might end up brutalizing someone needlessly."

"That's your choice," Raven replied. "No-one's forcing you to take part in this. But, don't you think your foul mood is lasting way too long?"

"Is it?" Nightwalker asked stiffly, and Raven gave up. It was almost impossible to deal with Nightwalker when he was in this kind of rare foul mood. Best to leave him along, she thought, until he had calmed down.

All too soon, the familiar sight of the Institution loomed up before Raven's eyes. Raven sighed and halted, gesturing to Cyborg to stop while she and Nightwalker descended onto the ground. "Here we are," she announced.

"Whoa!" Cyborg's eyes were almost bulging out of his head. "That is one big mansion! This house is COOL!"

"Not as cool as ours!" Beast Boy protested.

Raven pursed up her lips, ignoring their banter, and headed over to the front door, ringing the doorbell. It was opened almost immediately by Jean, who smiled and ushered the Titans into the mansion. She was not along, and in seconds, Raven found herself set upon by the many other mutants who had not yet seen her after her disappearance. Question after question was launched at her like a missile, and poor Raven did not have fun at all trying to satisfy their insatiable curiosity.

"Alright, alright, that's enough." Logan finally came to Raven's rescue, clapping his hands sharply. "Don't you bother Raven like this. Go to the training ground and warm up if you want to take part in the match."

"Will Raven be fighting too?" Jamie asked curiously.

"Perhaps or perhaps not," was Raven's brief answer.

Ten minutes later, every single Titan and X-Man could be sighted in the extensive training ground, supervised by the senior mutants, Xavier himself amongst them. Raven caught the Professor looking at her, and didn't fail to note his intense, watchful expression.

_Are you going to fight too? _

_Depends. You? _

_No. _

"Alright. Who wants to go up first?" Scott asked.

"I will!" Beast Boy immediately volunteered.

"Typical BB," Cyborg remarked.

"Then I suppose I'll go up too," Bobby volunteered.

"Oooh, this is going to be good," Starfire grinned, rubbing her hands gleefully.

Bobby and Beast Boy moved to stand opposite each other, both of them eyeing each other warily. At a nod from Xavier, Scott gave the signal to start, and the two boys leaped into action, eager to start. Bobby made the first move, trying to ice Beast Boy. Beast Boy immediately responded by morphing into a tiny fly, moving well out of the way. As Bobby turned from side to side, trying to spot Beast Boy, his green opponent suddenly turned into a huge lion behind Bobby, pouncing with full force. Bobby only managed to escape the attack by sliding away on an ice slide.

"They're both good, aren't they?" Terra whispered to Cyborg.

Cyborg grinned, showing off his white teeth. "My guess, thought, is that Bobby will eventually kick BB's butt completely," he said mischievously.

"Cyborg!"

"What?" he asked innocently. "I was just pointing out the facts!"

Glaring at him, Terra elbowed Cyborg hard.

In the end, Bobby won by a close margin, not kicking Beast Boy's butt as Cyborg had predicted. Looking comically dejected, Beast Boy accepted Bobby's helping hand and shook it, groaning. Bits of ice were still stuck to him, much to Starfire's amusement.

"Told you Bobby would kick his butt," Cyborg murmured to Terra.

"I heard that!" Beast Boy said, with mock anger. "And I did _not _get my butt kicked! I only lost by a close margin!"

Starfire cheerfully volunteered to go up next, along with Amara. Cyborg pumped his fist in the air and loudly cheered on Starfire, of whom he had always been very fond of. Opposite him, the younger mutant recruits put up a cheer of their own, their voices almost drowning out Cyborg's.

Within seconds, a ferocious barrage of magma balls and starbolts went flying in opposite directions, the impact stirring up so much dust that it seemed impossible for either girl to see each other. Starfire had the obvious advantage over Amara, being able to fly and release energy blasts from both her hands and her eyes. Amara was superbly quick on her feet, and armed with cunning tactics, but Starfire was just as quick, and had the air advantage as well. It didn't take too long for Starfire to be declared the obvious winner.

"Good work, Star." Robin smiled at the alien proudly, and Starfire blushed slightly.

"Now, who's up next?" Scott asked.

"Bring it on." Cyborg grinned as he stood up and crackled his knuckles. "Who's up to challenge me?"

"I will!" Ray announced.

"Ray's going to be a tough one for Cyborg," Robin whispered to the Titans. "One zap and…" He stopped and grimaced.

"And they're both impulsive, to make things worse," Raven muttered.

The matches went on and on for some time, the X-Men getting more and more eager to challenge the Titans, who were undoubtedly the finest fighters the X-Men had ever seen. Only Raven and Nightwalker refused to take part, and merely sat back to watch.

"Whew! This sure is tiring," Cyborg commented after finishing a match against Samuel. Sweat was rapidly dampening his forehead. "But this rocks!"

Finally, the last match was completed, between Starfire and Jubilee, with Starfire winning by a narrow margin. Raven breathed a sigh of relief; so far, no-one had commented on the fact that she and Nightwalker had not participated in a single match. As she and Nightwalker got up to leave, however, Beast Boy decided to open his big mouth after all.

"Hey!" he called out. "Raven, Nightwalker, you two haven't fought yet! Aren't you going to show us your skills?"

_I could strangle him for this! _Raven fumed.

_Nope, you'll just forgive him again, like you always have. _

"We're not fighting," Raven replied.

"Oh yes you are!" Cyborg grinned. "We Titans have seen you in action so many times before, so you have no excuse not to fight. Come on, you know you want to."

"We don't," Raven replied curtly, not knowing whether to be annoyed or amused at this point.

"You're not going anywhere till you've picked an opponent," Cyborg drawled.

"I can easily teleport us away."

"Oh, come on, Raven," Starfire pleaded. "Just one fight? Please?"

"Do we have to?" Raven grumbled.

"No harm in that," Terra pointed out.

The expression on Scott's face said otherwise, but this time, he wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Come on, X-Men!" Cyborg hollered. "Who here wants the honour of fighting with the amazing Raven and Nightwalker?"

There was immediately a very long silence on the mutants' part. It was only too evident that none of them looked forward to fighting someone like Raven at all. Then Robin solved the problem by saying, "If none of you mutants wants to fight Raven, what about a match between Raven and Nightwalker?"

"Yesss!" Beast Boy shouted. "Now that's a great idea! You guys really ought to see the way they fight each other during training sessions!"

Raven glanced at Nightwalker, eyes raised. Nightwalker looked as if he wasn't too sure whether to smile or frown and be angry.

_Well? _Raven asked. _You're going to agree to this or not? _

_It's fine with me. _

_Fine. Let's do it, then, just to keep them quiet. _

"Raven…"

"Alright, alright. Give us some time, won't you?" Raven frowned slightly as she fished out the two necklaces Karzor had given to her. "Nightwalker, here." She handed him the other necklace, and Nightwalker slipped it on without a word.

"This is gonna be good," Cyborg said gleefully, watching as Raven and Nightwalker took up position in the middle of the training ground. "Can't wait to see what they'll pull off."

"Won't they get hurt?" Kitty asked anxiously.

"Nope. Not at all," Terra replied calmly. "See the necklaces they're wearing? It renders them immune to each other's powers, so they can unleash their full strength without hurting each other."

"Where did they get them from? We ought to have something like that too," Amara said.

"They said it was a gift from their old mentor."

"And who's their old mentor?" Rahne asked curiously.

"Don't really know. That part is still a mystery even to us," Robin answered.

"Alright, get ready." Fighting back his discomfort, hoping fervently that nothing was going to go out of control again, Scott raised his arm and signaled to the combatants. "Get ready!" he called out. "One, two…began!"

Deafening cheers arose from both sides as the two Titans prepared to stage what was bound to be the most spectacular battle yet.


	57. Raven vs Nightwalker

_Is it just me, or are they expecting us to be a little gladiator-like here? _Raven asked.

_Well, frankly, no, not really. This is just a friendly fight for show, not a fight to the death. _

_Even so…_

_Don't think too hard, Raven. Just fight it out like we did in Azarath. _

_Right. Well, here we go. _

Bobby was rubbing his hands and grinning with glee, as if about to witness the greatest spectacle ever. "I can't wait to see what Raven can do now!"

"Really?" Scott frowned, but it wasn't enough to dampen Bobby's excitement. "Are you so sure about that? The last thing we want is…"

"Ungrateful man," Kitty muttered to Amara. "Looks like he's forgotten that it was Raven who stopped him from becoming a lifeless corpse."

"That's not it, I'm sure," Amara protested. "He's probably just worried about Jean and the others. After all, Raven did unleash some pretty nasty powers last time."

"Looks like no-one is going to ever get over the past," Kitty sighed.

Amara opened her mouth to reply, but her answer was cut short when Raven and Nightwalker began their battle. Nightwalker had flung a ball of fire at Raven, which she had dodged quite easily. As Nightwalker watched Raven closely, trying to anticipate her moves, Raven flew forward at top speed, in a straight line. The fireballs that Nightwalker hurled fiercely at her didn't seem to be enough to stop her progress.

As Raven got decidedly too close, Nightwalker flung up an earth wall at top speed, keeping the move sharp and last-minute. Raven came dangerously close to smashing into it, but her reflexes were surprisingly quick, and at the last minute, she somehow managed to angle her body upwards, just inches away from the wall.

"They're starting off slowly, aren't they?" Kitty commented to Rahne, who was sitting next to her.

"It would seem so," Rahne agreed. "Oooh! Did you see that?" Nightwalker had just tried to zap Raven with a blast of lightning, only to miss her by an inch. "That was too close!"

"Nightwalker's good, I must say," Roberto said admiringly. "Such impressive powers…imagine being able to control all six elements!"

"He'd be a nasty enemy too."

Nightwalker had reverted to using water, his natural element, and was busy attacking Raven vigorously. Several blows had already been landed on each other, without inflicting any damage thanks to the necklaces they were wearing.

"Quite nice watching Nightwalker's water techniques," Amara said, leaning in towards Kitty. "Almost a bit like watching some kind of motor-controlled water streams."

Kitty giggled, pressing a palm over her mouth. "I don't think that would be a compliment," she whispered. "That's a fighting technique, obviously, not some kind of dance."

"Well, no…but I really did mean to compliment him."

Nightwalker was still busy water weaving now, trying in vain to immobilize Raven, who was quick as a cat. Even so, it was obvious they were quite enjoying themselves, judging by the gleam in their eyes.

"Neither of them will be going down easy, eh?" Roberto said.

"Of course not!" Ray said. "They're both crime fighters, isn't it? How can crime fighters go down easily?"

Raven and Nightwalker fought on to the point that it seemed neither of them could try a new technique that they had not yet attempted. Scott signaled to them to stop at last, and the X-Men and Titans clapped and cheered enthusiastically as Raven and Nightwalker broke off their attack and nodded to each other.

"Good fight, guys!" Kitty hollered. "Good one!"

"You guys rock!" Bobby added.

"Yeah. Thanks," Raven replied flatly.

"You're so much better in using your powers now, Raven," Kitty said sincerely. "The way you fight now, you're like a professional!"

"Uh-huh."

"You too, Nightwalker," Rahne said, attempting to be friendly with him. "You're not someone I'd like to face – ever."

"Mmm." Giving her a monosyllabic answer, Nightwalker turned his back on her pointedly, ignoring her.

_Not displaying very good manners, are you? _Raven commented dryly.

_Who says we need to put on our best manners here? What do you think this is? A formal dinner party? _

"Gosh, Raven's gotten so much better now," Roberto murmured to Ray. "I can't believe how skillful she is! She looks as if fighting for her is just playing!"

"Remind me why we should never face off against her in battle. I'm surprised Nightwalker managed to hold her off for that long at all!"

Scott cleared his throat, looking as if he was trying to find the right words to say. "Raven…good work," he said, his words sounding forced and stiff. "I'm glad you can, uh, exert such good control over your powers now."

"Right. Yeah."

_See? _Nightwalker said angrily. _He's just the same as ever! He still thinks you're a freaky monster who's only capable of destruction! _

_I don't care what Scott thinks anymore, remember? I know I can control my powers now, and it's all that matters. It's not like we'll be in close proximity for a long period of time, anyway. _

"And, Raven…uh, thanks for helping us earlier."

"You're welcome," Raven replied tonelessly.

_Ah, nice to see he can thaw out a little, at the least. _

_Whatever. _

"Alright, alright." Logan clapped his hands sharply and looked round at the mutants, who were still being very loud. "Let's call this a day. Time for you to get down to _real _training now."

"_Real _training?" Bobby exclaimed. "But we just…"

"That," Logan said pointedly, "was a combat session against the Teen Titans, not a training session. So it doesn't count. Now, chop chop! Get down to real training!"

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Amara groaned.

"I'm not kidding at all," Logan retorted.

Beast Boy deflated, sticking out his lower lip in a child-like pout. "So…I take it we'll have to leave now?" he sighed. "That's a pity. I was having such fun fighting you guys!"

"Really?" Kitty brightened up a little at this.

"Of course! Kicking your butts was amazing!"

Raven glared at Beast Boy dangerously, elbowing him hard enough to almost knock him over.

"Talk about subtle," Cyborg muttered.

"He doesn't know the meaning of subtle, remember?" Terra murmured to him.

Beast Boy pulled a face, but no-one paid any attention to him.

"Logan," Jean said, "maybe we can invite the Titans for this training session with us? It's the perfect time to, you know…foster some friendship and all that."

Logan grunted and rubbed his chin, deliberating before he finally said, "Fine. Since the Titans are already here, I suppose it would be bad manners to make them leave now. Titans." He gestured to them with his hands. "You want to stay a while longer and train with us here?"

"I wouldn't mind," Cyborg replied casually.

"Are you kidding?" Beast Boy interrupted, pushing his way forward. "I'd love that, I think! So yes, I accept."

_Just like Beast Boy, _Raven grumbled.

_What? Afraid that your friends will desert you for the X-Men? _

_Why would I think that? _

_Just a suggestion. _

_An invalid one. _

Robin was nodding in the meantime, face serious. "Right. Titans, we're staying behind for some training with these guys. Everyone's OK with it, I hope?"

"Oh yes, most certainly yes!" Starfire beamed.

"Yeah, I suppose I'm fine with it too," Terra said, with less enthusiasm.

"Great. Then, let's begin."

"You go ahead," Raven told the Titans. "I'm going to meditate."

"Me too," Nightwalker added.

"Don't you want to join us?" Bobby asked.

"No. I've had enough fighting for today. You go…enjoy yourselves." Without saying another word, Raven turned her back on them and strode away with Nightwalker.

Watching their retreating backs, Kitty sighed and wondered if Raven would ever forgive her and her friends.


	58. Ominous Warnings

That night, in her bed back at the Tower, Raven dreamed again. Trigon appeared in her mind with a suddenness only he could pull off, materializing himself out of thin air. Once again, Raven was rooted frozen to the spot, unable to move as she stared at her father with horror.

"The time is near, Raven." Trigon's voice boomed louder and deeper than thunder, strong enough to deafen anyone within a mile. "My time is drawing close, and you know it."

"I – I don't believe you!" Raven snapped, with more confidence than she really felt.

"Dear daughter, you know I'm not lying. Can you not feel the changes yet? It is almost time for my ascension, and nothing will stop me."

"And what if I refuse to become your portal?" Raven challenged.

"You were fated to end the world from the moment you were born, child. It's always been your destiny, your fate. And there is nothing in the world that will change the fact."

"You can't force me to be your portal."

"We shall see when the times comes, daughter. We shall see." Flashing her a wicked grin, Trigon turned and vanished just as suddenly as he had appeared.

Raven remained where she was for what seemed like an awfully long time, standing as still as a statue. The world around her was a flame-red shade, the colour of fire and lava. There was no-one or nothing else in this place of darkness but Raven.

_Raven. Daughter. _

Raven whirled around at once, fists clenched. "Who's there?" she demanded.

_It's me, child. Do you not know me? _

Raven narrowed her eyes, trying to focus. _Karzor? _she called out telepathically.

_I am here, child. Turn around. _

Raven turned, and for the first time, she noticed her old mentor, present where he had not been before. Even if an angel had been there instead of him, Raven couldn't have felt any better. "Karzor," she breathed with relief. "Why didn't you bring an end to Trigon when he was there?"

"I don't have the power to destroy him, Raven," Karzor replied gravely. "That would require a power beyond anything that's ever existed. And that power is not in me."

"If you can't destroy him, then who can?"

"You will know when the times comes, daughter."

"What he said…is it true? Is it almost time for Trigon to return?"

"Yes, child. He spoke the truth indeed. Not even he would lie about something like that."

"And how can we stop him?" Raven asked desperately.

"You will have the answers soon enough, when the time comes."

"When the time comes," Raven echoed. "So, before I can know anything more, I have to wait until Trigon ascends, I suppose?"

Karzor only smiled faintly. "I am not an answer-provider, Raven. When the time is right, I think you'll find that you have the strength to do what you must. I believe in you, and so does Nightwalker. And all the Titans. It's you who has to believe in yourself. Farewell, daughter."

"Wait…" Raven extended a hand forward as Karzor began to fade, but it was too late. Karzor was already as transparent as water, and before Raven's eyes, he faded away to nothingness.

It was there that the dream ended at last. Raven's eyes flew open, staring at the dark ceiling above her, and became aware that she was back on her bed, her skin damp with sweat. All traces of sleep had vanished, leaving her wide awake and alert.

_Damn it! _Raven thought. _Damn it! Why can't I be free of that damned monster for even a day? _

Kicking away the blanket, Raven headed to the bathroom to splash her face with cold water, wiping away the water and sweat before selecting several black candles from the shelf. They were not just any wax candles; they were relics that had been in her possession for longer than she remembered, objects that contained an ancient and deep power. Unlike normal wax candles, these ones would never melt. She set them in a circle and lit them with an incantation she had learned, before levitating cross-legged in the middle of the circle, her hood drawn up over her head. Ignoring the sudden sense of darkness she thought she felt, she began to meditate.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos. Azarath Metrion Zinthos. Azarath…"

Raven spent the next few hours meditating, until the sun rose and heralded its approach with rays of bright gold light. Irritated by the glaring light, Raven roughly pulled down the dark blue curtains over the window, blocking out the light and leaving her room in darkness, only mildly illuminated by the black candles. She resumed her meditation again, and did not stop until she heard a knocking at her door.

"Raven, are you up yet?" It was Nightwalker's voice that sounded through the steel door. "The others are wondering what's up with you."

"Coming." Raven extinguished the candles rapidly and replaced them on the shelf, phasing out of the door. Nightwalker was leaning against the wall nearby, arms folded. "Had a dream about Karzor?" he enquired.

"How did you know?"

"He came into my dream too last night. I heard his voice in his mind; he warned me that Trigon's time is near."

Raven sucked in her breath sharply.

"He did warn me to keep a close eye on you from today onwards," Nightwalker added. "Karzor said the danger will be escalating drastically, and there's no telling when the fated day will come."

"Great."

"I won't mention this to the Titans yet," Nightwalker went on. "Not until you're ready to tell them the truth."

"Thanks."

"No worries. You want breakfast?"

"I've no intention of starving myself."

"Beast Boy made some pancakes," Nightwalker told her. "Not sure if you want to eat them, thought. There's no telling what weird stuff he might have put in, even if they do taste normal."

"I can't trust any food Beast Boy prepares, anyway," Raven said. "So I'll stick to normal cereal as usual."

"Wise choice."

Beast Boy and Cyborg were arguing as usual over the breakfast, with Cyborg yelling that Beast Boy hadn't prepared enough pancakes. Beast Boy was yelling back comically as usual, snapping that he had no idea Cyborg could devour twelve pancakes in just minutes, with stomach space for more. Starfire, as ever before, was trying to act as peacemaker, while Terra and Robin stood nearby with faces black as thunder, looking far from amused.

Looking round at her friends, Raven felt an odd pang in her heart. Trigon's words sent a chill down her spine as she realized the ramifications of being so close to the Titans. Trigon was all-seeing; it would take him only seconds to figure out her relationship with the Titans. And how easy it would be for him to use them against her…

"Oh, Raven!" Starfire looked up and noticed Raven at last. "Good morning, friend! Do you want some breakfast? Beast Boy left some pancakes for you."

"Cyborg can eat them if he wants. I'll take the cereal."

"Boo-yah! Raven, you're the best!" Cyborg's jaw hung open, saliva drooling out comically as he literally pounced on the remaining pancakes and rammed them down his mouth before anyone could stop him.

"One of these days, you're going to choke if you keep that up!" Terra scolded.

"Oh, no, it won't," Cyborg said dismissively, wiping crumbs away from his mouth. "Don't ya worry!"

Robin's communicator rang at that moment, and he took himself away to answer it. He came back a minute later, smiling. "Raven, that was Kitty," he said. "She and some of the other X-Men are going to hang out in the city for a while, and they'd like you to join them, if you wish."

"And why the sudden invitation?" Raven asked, eyes raised.

"It must just be a friendly invitation, isn't it?" Terra said.

"Yeah. Friendly invitation," Raven muttered. "Fine, I'll go then."

"You don't sound too happy," Robin observed.

"Whatever. I'll see you around later."

_I'll come with you, _Nightwalker said.

_You don't have to. _

_Remember what Karzor said? Wherever you go, I go, from now on. _

_Brilliant. _

"Alright, then. Catch up with you guys later!" Starfire beamed, waving at Raven and Nightwalker.

_Is it just me, or do I sense something…dark? _Nightwalker asked, as he and Raven walked away. _Yes, I know it sounds stupid, but when I woke up this morning, the first thing I sensed was something darkish. _

_You're not the only one. Before I started meditating, I thought I felt something like that too. Now that you say you can feel it…at least I know my senses aren't going mad. _

_What do you think it is? _

_I don't know. I suppose we'll find out when we encounter it. _

_Let's just hope it isn't something related to Trigon. _

_If it is…gods help us. _

**Sorry for the late update! Anyways, yes, I'll be bringing the story to an end soon, since it's been going on too long. **


	59. Darkness

Raven tried to look as if she was somehow paying attention to what Kitty and the girls were saying, though her mind was far, far away. Nightwalker's words still rang ominously in her head, reminding her that this was no relaxing outing.

_Is it just me, or do I sense something…dark?_

_Good to know I'm not the only one feeling it_, Raven thought dryly.

Behind the girls walked Nightwalker, keeping a distance from them, looking like some kind of bodyguard. He said nothing to Raven, but she could easily feel his unease.

_You still feeling it? _she asked eventually.

_Mmm-hmm. But I don't know where it's coming from. It's like…it's all around us. _

_Keep your eyes open. _

_What else have I been doing? I didn't come along with you just to listen to all your girly chatter. _

Kitty and her companions continued their constant flow of chatter, their words almost inducing a headache in Raven.

Groaning silently, she pressed two fingers against her temple, rubbing it. _Why on earth did I agree to come along with them when I should be meditating and focussing on the source of the darkness? _

_Because I am waiting to see you face-to-face again. _

The sudden intrusion of the new telepathic voice in her mind, carelessly left unguarded for that brief moment, made Raven halt her footsteps, her body going very still. Though she didn't have eyes behind her back, she still sensed Nightwalker freezing behind her too.

_Did you…_

_I heard it too! _Nightwalker responded, sounding less certain of himself now.

_Who are you_? Raven demanded, responding mentally. She thought the speaker's aura felt oddly familiar, but she couldn't quite place who it was. _What are you talking about? Why are you even in my mind? _

_Because like I said, I want to see you again. _

_How about showing yourself then? _Raven retorted. _Or is your face too ugly to be seen in public? _

The speaker, definitely male, chuckled telepathically, an eerie sound that made Raven wish she had simply blocked him from her mind in the first place. _But I need to see you in private_, he replied. _If you dare, why don't you and Nightwalker leave your girly buddies and walk down the first dark alley you see? _

_Ha, ha, ha. I didn't realize we look that dumb. Think we're just going to agree to meet some stranger? _

_Stranger? Oh no! I am no stranger. In fact, we've already tested our powers against each other before. _

Helpful, Raven thought sarcastically. _For your information, _she retorted, _we've faced many bad guys before. What makes you think you're so extra special that I'll remember you? _This was a lie; Raven was sure she knew that aura.

_Why don't you and Nightwalker find out for yourself? _

By now, there wasn't the slightest doubt in her mind that _he _was the source of the darkness she and Nightwalker had been feeling all along.

_What makes you think we'll agree? _

_Because I know you, Raven. Because I know you've been sensing my presence for quite some time and you want to know who's behind it. _

_Oh, I just loved to be psychoanalysed! _

"Raven? Oi! Raven!"

No longer able to block out Kitty's loud, persistent voice, Raven sighed, trying not to sound too brusque. "Headache," she said succinctly. She grimaced and tried to put on a decent imitation of a girl suffering the said malady, rubbing her temples and frowning. "I think I'll head home first."

Almost in unison, the girls peered at her with concern all over their faces.

"You OK? You looked pretty…zone out back there for a while."

"I just need some sleep," Raven lied. "You carry on."

"Will we see you again soon?" Kitty asked hopefully.

"Maybe." Without bothering to offer them a _goodbye_, Raven turned and walked away, careful to keep the pace slow as if her head was still throbbing. She felt the girls staring at her retreating behind, but steadily ignored them as she turned round the corner, out of their sight, with Nightwalker flanking her closely.

_What on earth is going on? Who's that guy? _Nightwalker demanded instantly.

_Best way is to check it out ourselves. _

_I don't know if that's a good idea…_Nightwalker's telepathic words were hesitant, but Raven sensed that he too was just as compelled as her to face it. There was no sensible, rational reason for them to do so, but down in their hearts, they knew a confrontation was inevitable.

_I'm sure I've faced him before_, Nightwalker went on fiercely. _But I just can't place that aura…_

_I think it's time we face him, whoever he is. You with me? _

_As always. First dark alley we see, yes? _

_This way. _

Together, the two friends walked several yards past the buildings and busy streets until they saw what they sought. Nightwalker's lips were pinched into a straight line, his black and blue eyes positively malevolent now. Every emotion coursing throughout him now was so strong that Raven felt them almost as her own feelings. She glanced sideways at her ever-loyal buddy, and he glanced back, his face saying everything.

_We're going to face this together, and we're going to get him! _

_Aye. _Their hands edged together, almost without them being aware of it, and then their fingers merged, curling around each other's firmly.

_Be careful_, Nightwalker said.

_You too. _

As if they realized they were now touching, they hastily retracted their hands, snapping their eyes away from each other. There was that moment of awkwardness, then Raven threw back her shoulders squarely, her jaw tightening.

_Let's do this. _

Together, the two of them braced themselves for whatever – or whoever – was coming, and silently padded into the alley side by side.

**Yeah! An update again! I'm super duper sorry about abandoning this for so long! Been very busy, but I intend to proceed with this story again and get it done! **

**ZDrive, thanks a lot for your suggestion! It's already given me an idea about how to proceed – which will involve a twist in the next chapter! **


	60. Message

Several feet into the alleyway, Raven and Nightwalker both halted in unison, their gazes locking with each other's. They didn't need telepathy to convey their thoughts to each other at that point.

_It's him! Drydo! _Raven said.

_I know. I feel it too. _

_His aura…it's so different. It's much…darker, more intense…How on earth did he return? I thought you said Xildarinians don't have the ability to dimension-travel! _

_That doesn't mean he couldn't have picked up that skill from somewhere. Drydo's always had some kind of darkish energy in him. I felt it when we fought. _

_So, what now? Do we go on? _

_Whatever your choice is, I'm going in with you. We're going to have to confront him sooner or later anyway. _

Raven picked up the pace again, advancing forward slowly, her eyes narrowed in her face. Despite her movement, she seemed to have gone…still somehow. As if she was actually…afraid.

Nightwalker found himself laying a hand on Raven's arm without thinking, a gesture of reassurance and comfort. Raven unconsciously returned the gesture, her hand covering his lightly. There was that moment of awareness, of connection, and if Raven had been an ordinary girl, she would have blushed.

As it was, she simply removed her hand as if nothing had happened between them.

Though Nightwalker appeared calm as always, Raven could already feel the change in his aura. Like her, he was tensed, his energy far more intense than usual. Yep, he was definitely ready to strike at any moment if need be.

_Raven…Raven…_

_I can hear you! _Raven retorted telepathically, eyes narrowed.

Nightwalker's gaze shifted to her face questioningly.

_He's calling out to me_.

Nightwalker nodded, once. _Let me into your mind? _

Raven obligingly linked her mind to his. _Drydo! _she called out mentally. _I know you're there! I heard you! Come out and face us if you dare. Or are you too much of a coward, as always? _

_Ha ha ha! _Drydo's laugh was sinister enough to send a chill racing down Raven's back. _Sassy as always, aren't you? Well, are you so eager to say hello? _

_Come out now, Drydo! _Nightwalker snapped.

_My, my. What a welcome. Well then…_

From within the darkness, something begin to emerge. Raven clearly saw the hem of someone's black cloak, followed by the end of someone's pale leg. Even before the rest of the body appeared, she already knew what she was about to see.

"Drydo." She spoke his name aloud this time as she fixed her gaze on his hated face. "What a surprise."

Drydo smiled, flashing sharp white teeth as he spread out his arms at the side. "No hellos for me?" he asked lightly.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Nightwalker hissed.

"Oh, you mean what am I doing back here on earth, after you sent me off to some other dimension? Ta-da! Well, here I am, anyway. Miss me?"

The dark aura around him was far stronger than anything Raven had ever felt, and she couldn't quite hold back the unease. "Can't say I did," she replied dryly, keeping her tone bland, emotionless.

Drydo took several steps forward, and it was all Raven could do to hold her ground. Next to her, Nightwalker went very still, and a flash of blue surrounded his clenched his fists.

"Don't bother with that." Drydo made a dismissing gesture with his own hand. "I'm not here to fight you, much as you're itching to do so, I'm sure."

"What. Do. You. Want?" Raven bit out each word.

"I have a message from daddy dearest."

Raven almost gasped aloud, and managed to clamp her lips shut just in time. "Not interested."

"Hmm. But you have no choice, darling. I was told to bring you the message, and hear it you will." In a casual motion, he pushed back one of his sleeves, running his fingers lightly over his wrist, and Raven felt her eyes widen as she stared at the mark on it.

A bright red S gleamed on Drydo's pale skin, winking at her like something from her deepest, darkest nightmare.

"No," Raven found herself whispering, her eyes glued to that demonic sign.

Drydo stepped forward noiselessly and in one swift, brutal motion, grabbed Raven by the wrist. She cried out in shock and automatically tried to yank away, but Drydo's grip on her was harder than iron.

"Let go of her!" Nightwalker snarled, and raised his hands, ready to deliver a strike.

Drydo made an imperial gesture with his hand, and Nightwalker went flying backwards, whamming the wall with full force.

"Nightwalker!" Raven instinctively moved to strike back, but Drydo's grip on her seemed to have somehow drained her of all her energy, and she sank down to her knees like an old woman.

"Hear me now, daughter of Trigon." Drydo's voice grew deeper, more powerful, more authoritative as his eyes glowed red, red as lava. "The end is nigh. Trigon will ascend soon, and you shall be his portal!"

"Never!" Raven hissed. "I will never do it!"

"It is your destiny, and you know it. You were born to end this world, and end this world you will! See for yourself your destiny!"

"AAAHHH!" Raven cried out as her sight was immediately overtaken by visions she never should be seeing.

She saw the end of the world. She saw Trigon sitting upon the Titans Tower, presiding over a world made of stone and lava, destruction and misery all that was left in a once-bright planet. Stone human beings replaced the people who had once been alive and moving. This was hell on earth. This was the end of the world. This was a horror beyond all comprehension.

"No," Raven whispered. "No. I won't allow it. I will not be his portal!"

"This is your destiny, and nothing can change it," Drydo whispered in her ear. "Behold, Raven. Behold what you were always meant to do, and know that nothing can stop this!"

"AAAHHHHH!" Raven's mind exploded and went wild as her father's laughter sounded in a corner of her mind. She felt her body burning up, and bit by bit, the mark of Scath begin to permeate her, lighting up her body in a parody of a Christmas tree. The unholy marks gleamed all over her, her forehead, her arms, her legs, and despair like nothing she had felt before threatened to destroy her entirely.

Drydo threw back his head and laughed, a high, insane laughter of glee. With a roar of fury, Raven yanked free of his grasp at last and summoned up the remains of her energy, directing it right at him.

"Azarath Metrion ZINTHOS!" she bellowed, and channelled all her rage into her power, sending Drydo flying backwards.

Gasping, panting, Raven advanced on him like a lioness, hatred and rage consuming every fibre of her being. "Be silent!" she roared. "You have no say in my destiny! I know who I am, and I will not be Trigon's portal!"

From somewhere behind her, Nightwalker groaned.

"You can't stop it." Drydo looked at Raven straight in the eye, and smiled, a smile so cold that it froze the air around them. "You know it, Raven. You've always known it."

Raven elevated her hand, and calmly raised Drydo upwards with her telekinetic energy. "This time," she said coldly, "I have a message for my father."

WHAM! There was sickening thud as Raven slammed Drydo into the wall with all her might, cracking the bricks. "Tell him," Raven snarled through gritted teeth, "I will never do his bidding! If he wants me, he'll have to go through my dead body!" WHAM! BAM!

"Raven…" Nightwalker groaned out her name weakly.

Paying him no attention, Raven continued to send Drydo flying back and forth, until the walls around them threatened to crumble into nothingness, her roars echoing through the alley.

"RAVEN!"

A familiar girl's voice cut through her fury as nothing else could. Raven let her arm go limp, and Drydo plopped down onto the ground like a sack of potatoes.

"Raven?" Kitty's voice was weak and uncertain.

Slowly, Raven turned around, not bothering to try and conceal the red marks all over her. _Let them see me as I am! _she thought defiantly, as she met the stunned and horrified gazes of Kitty, Jean, Scott, Rogue and Amara. As if it weren't bad enough seeing them staring at her, the Teen Titans, too, stood next to them, mouths hanging open. _I'm not going to hide anymore! If they want to judge me, let them! _

In silence, Nightwalker rose to his feet and went to stand next to Raven, resting a hand lightly on her shoulder. _You alright? _he asked.

_Just fine! _

_I'm with you, Raven, as always. You know that. _

_Thanks_, she replied, and raised her chin.

"Raven? What…what's going on?" Starfire couldn't seem to decide whether to fix her eyes on Raven or Drydo, lying motionless behind her.

"You want to know, don't you?" Drydo begin to rise, slowly, evidently feeling the pain. Even downed as he was, he still managed to look smug. "Wondering what's up with the pretty glowing?"

"Shut up!" Nightwalker exploded, and rounded on him, a ball of water forming near his head.

_Let him be_, Raven said, and Nightwalker forced himself to relax.

"Go ahead and ask her," Drydo went on, his voice grating in Raven's ears. "I'm sure she'd love to explain everything to you. How she's going to destroy the world very, very soon. Oh yeah, I can't wait!" Baring his teeth in a grin, he fired off a mocking salute at Raven. "Bye, Raven," he said lightly. "I'll be seeing you very soon. Till then…adios!" He snapped his fingers once, and melted away into the shadows.

The silence almost deafened Raven as the two groups simply stared back and forth at each other. Speech was beyond any of them. Finally, no longer able to bear it any longer, Raven sighed and forced out the words.

"I think it's about time I tell you who I really am."

**Hey guys! Missed me? My goodness, I'm so so sorry for the awful delay! I'm just glad I'm back in action! **

**And thank you for all your support and patience! Hopefully the next chapter will be up very soon! **


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